Collide
by SeRa.RoCkS
Summary: Nathan Scott is a notorious celebrity bad boy while Haley James is a simple writer struggling with her career. When she's forced to not only write an article to improve his image but live with him for two months, can she survive with a guy she can't stand
1. Prologue

**Hey guys! I know that I'm currently working on "It's Over, I Think" but a great idea just came to me a couple days ago, and I can't help but not post it. Just a quick warning to all of you; this story is AU so don't be surprised if some things are completely different from the show. -----Sera**

**-**

**Disclaimer: **Sadly, One Tree Hill isn't mine. Even worse, so is James Lafferty.

As soon as Haley James stepped out of her best friend Peyton Sawyer's sleek silver convertible, she knew this was a bad idea.

"Where are we again?" She asked nervously.

Her other best friend, Brooke Davis rolled her eyes, getting out of the car. "How many times do I have to tell you? We're in Tric."

Haley knew exactly was the club Tric was. It was the most popular LA hotspot known to mankind and getting in there was probably harder than rocket science. She knew that Brooke had to do some insane flirting to be able to snag invites so it wouldn't really be fair if she didn't go.

Haley was beginning to realize her mistake.

"Don't worry, Hales – we're just going to a party." Peyton assured her.

"It's not just a party. It's _the_ party of all parties, thanks of course, to me." Brooke said proudly as she gave Peyton a high-five.

Haley knew what kind of _parties_ her friends attended. It was nothing like the usual parties she had when she was five with her grandma.

She saw how excited her best friends were and sighed at how different they all were. They had met when they were in the first grade…

"'_Bye, mommy! I'll see you after school!" A little blond girl called to her mother as she got off the car._

"_You take care now, Peyton."_

_The blond girl called Peyton watched her mother drive away and sat herself on the bench. She took out a piece of slightly wrinkled paper from her bag and a pencil then began to draw._

_Suddenly, a voice said behind her, "What are you doing?"_

_Peyton looked up to see a dark-haired girl about her age. She was very pretty, especially when she flashed a dimpled smile. Peyton found it highly amusing that the little girl was wearing her colors color-coordinated, while she, on the other hand, was just wearing a plain shirt, jeans and her worn-out Chuck Taylors._

_Before Peyton could answer, the little girl began talking nonstop. "Why are you drawing? Classes haven't even started yet. Have they started yet? I hope I'm not late. Are you late? You must be because you're here outside with me. There are an awful lot of kids here. Are they late, too? Do we get punished for being late? How about prizes, do we get prizes? I hope we do. Maybe I'd like school more if we did."_

_It was amazing how the girl could say all of that so fast without catching her breath or stumbling over her words. "Er – I don't really know."_

"_I'm Brooke Davis, by the way."_

"_Peyton Sawyer."_

_Brooke then noticed Peyton's curly, blond hair. "You look like that girl in my story book – the one who ate all the soup –"_

"_Excuse me – but I do believe that Goldilocks ate _porridge_, and not soup." Another voice said quietly, interrupting them._

_They spun around to see a shy-looking girl with blond pigtails and reading a book._

"_How do you know it's porridge?" Brooke challenged, miffed at the fact that this little girl was not only butting in, she was also correcting her._

"_How do you know it's soup?" The blond girl threw back._

"_My book says it's soup."_

"_Well, your book must be wrong because mine says it's porridge."_

"_Soup!"_

"_Porridge!"_

"_Soup!"_

"_Por –"_

"_Alright, I think we get the idea that it's something like those two." Peyton said loudly, worried that the two of them would start pulling each other's hair._

"_Whatever. Go read your stupid porridge book." Brooke said, frowning at the blond girl._

_The girl threw her a glare and stalked to the sandbox. She crouched down and began scooping sand on her shirt._

"_That girl's weird." Brooke remarked rudely._

"_She is not, Brooke." Peyton defended, though she couldn't help but wonder why the heck that girl was scooping up sand._

_Unable to resist her curiosity, Brooke walked to the girl. "Hey Porridge, what are you doing?"_

_She looked up. "I'm saving the ants."_

"_Why?"_

"_Because they're going to get stepped on – and I don't want them to die just because we can't see them." She explained._

"_But they're ants. They're supposed to get stepped on." Peyton pointed out._

"_That wouldn't be very fair to them, would it?"_

_As strange as it was, Brooke and Peyton somehow saw the logic in what the girl said as they crouched down next to her and began to help._

_After a few seconds, the girl said quietly, "My name's Haley."_

Since then, the three of them were inseparable. Sure, they had their occasional fights but they were best friends all throughout their lives.

After graduating from UCLA, the three of them decided to live in Los Angeles but get started on their separate careers.

Brooke was a very talented fashion designer and she was starting her own fashion line, Clothes Over Bro's, which was rapidly gaining the attention it deserved. The latest news was that Nicole Richie was seen wearing a Clothes Over Bro's top. It wouldn't be too long until the name was synonymous with D&G and those other designers Haley knew nothing about.

Peyton met a guy named Jake Jagelski, who owned a rising record company. They began dating for a few months and soon, they were engaged. They were to be married next year, and no one could be happier for Peyton than her friends.

Haley's career, on the other hand, wasn't as flashy or glamorous as her friends' were. In fact, her career wouldn't even be considered under the category of flashy or glamorous. She had applied to several magazine companies in the hope of becoming a columnist there but she was always denied.

Finally, she forced herself to apply in the local newspaper, the Los Angeles Times but so far, she hadn't received a confirmation yet. Haley was merely praying that it wouldn't be a dead-end job and as long as it could pay the bills, it was fine.

And as long as it didn't bore the pants off of her.

They had only been in LA for half a year and Brooke and Peyton were already far more successful than Haley was. Sometimes, she could not help but feel pangs of jealousy when they had no overdue bills, rent and food to worry about – not to mention the fact that Haley was still stuck in her copywriting position.

It really wasn't their fault – but still . . .

Brooke noticed the uncertain look on Haley's face. "Relax, Hales. It's going to be really fun and we're here with you until we leave. Okay?"

Reluctantly, she nodded and they began to walk inside.

Then Brooke added, "Besides, you look so hot that all the guys will be staring at you – that is, when they're not staring at me."

Peyton rolled her eyes. "You ready?"

Haley started to say "no" but then the bouncer unhooked the red, velvet rope as Brooke pushed her inside the club.

"I can't do this you guys –"

"I see Jake – I'll see you later." Peyton said, walking towards him.

"I see a hot guy – ooh, there's three of them –" Brooke said excitedly as she walked to them as well.

"So much for 'we're here with you until we leave.'" Haley muttered distastefully. She proceeded to the bar.

-

On the other side of Tric club were the famous Scott brothers – Nathan and Lucas. To anyone who constantly kept up with the latest celebrity news, they were as different as fire and ice.

Lucas Scott was a well-known New York Times' bestselling author. In his short writing career, he had already managed to bag five bestselling books that stayed number one for more than five months, two were made into a movie and one was made into a highly-successful television show.

Despite all his success, Lucas was very down-to-earth. He was the more subdued brother and there were no negative news about him – except when it concerned his brother, because he just so happened to be Nathan's manager as well.

Nathan was completely different. He was a very successful basketball player in the LA Lakers, having leaded them to two championships in his young career. Unlike Lucas, Nathan let the success get to his head.

He was notorious for being a Hollywood bad boy – he went partying every night, he was always in trouble with his basketball coach; he was always involved in some sort of scandal; whether it was sleeping with some guy's wife or beating up a random guy in a bar. He changed his "girlfriends" as often as he changed his underwear and sometimes, no one could really blame him.

Nathan Scott was the hottest guy to ever walk on the red carpet. Whenever there was a list of "Sexiest People…" or whatnot, he was always on top. And he wasn't going to lose that title any time soon – not even to his brother, who also happened to be equally as good-looking as him, just in a more brooding sense.

"I don't understand why you had to drag me here." Lucas complained.

"I had to save you from that laptop of yours – I swear, that thing must be possessing you or something. Writing is all you ever do." Nathan said.

"Writing _is_ all what I ever do – aside from being your goddamned nanny. Do you know how hard it is to come up with an excuse for all the shit you've been doing?" Lucas asked angrily.

"Hey, it's not my fault the guy was jealous that all those girls couldn't resist me!" Nathan said defensively.

"You were drunk and for some stupid reason, you punched the poor guy." Lucas pointed out.

"He wasn't _that_ injured!"

"Nate, the guy was probably forty years old! His toupee was practically on the other side of the bar when you punched him!"

"Oh, quit sounding like mom. I've heard enough of her nagging to last me a lifetime. Besides, we are here to get so drunk that when we wake up in the morning, we don't even know whose bed we're on and how the hell we got there." Nathan said gleefully.

"Sounds exciting," his brother said sarcastically.

"Wow, look at all these hot girls – I bet you a thousand dollars that I can get ten girls' numbers under twenty minutes."

Lucas made a disgusted face. "Thanks for the offer, but I'd rather not participate in your lifelong quest to have a venereal disease ten girls at a time."

Nathan shrugged. "Suit yourself – all the more for me."

He then spotted a gorgeous girl seated on the bar, sipping champagne. God, she was breathtaking. She had long, blond hair that fell over her shoulders in waves and she had the hottest figure – judging from the way the tiny black dress she was wearing clung to all the right places. She glanced past him with the most amazing hazel eyes he had ever seen.

_How the hell could she see past me? _Nathan wondered indignantly.

She was . . . she was . . .

"Nathan? Nathan? Are you still there? You're drooling and it wouldn't look so good on the cover of People magazine." Lucas warned, snapping him back to reality.

"I – I'll be right back, Luke…" He walked over to her and tapped her on the shoulder.

When she turned to face him, he flashed her the trademark Scott smirk and judging the way lust suddenly clouded her eyes, he knew she was in the bag tonight.

**Please leave me a review so I know if I should still push through with this story. Thank you! -----Sera**


	2. Waking Up with A Stranger

**Wow, I totally wasn't expecting that much reviews for my story. So thank you to all those who reviewed, made me a Favorite Author and put my story on Story Alert or Favorite Story. Keep 'em coming, people!**

**Hugs and kisses to all!**

**----Sera**

**P.S. Italics are either for flashbacks or for emphasis.**

**

* * *

****Disclaimer: **One Tree Hill is owned by none other than Mark Schwahn, the CW Network and that production company whose name escapes me. If you didn't see my name there, then I obviously don't own it. 

_Haley stirred as rays of sunlight streamed through the window._

_She squinted then yawning widely, turned to her right – and nearly fell off the bed in shock. Lying next to her was a very, _very_ good-looking man who was still fast asleep. For a moment, Haley sat there, trying to comprehend what was going on._

_Then it hit her. She was innocently drinking champagne when this hot guy – whoever he was – suddenly approached her and began talking to her. They had more than a couple of drinks and somehow, they ended up here – wherever "here" was._

_Haley frowned, narrowing her eyes. Although half of his face was lying flat on the pillow so she couldn't really see who he was, he looked very familiar – too familiar…it didn't take long until she began screaming, "Holy crap – Nathan Scott!"_

_He awoke with a start. He looked up at her in annoyance. "Do you mind not screaming so goddamned early in the morning? I have a terrible hangover and if you think your scream is loud, imagine what _I _hear."_

_Haley was just about to stand when she realized that she was completely naked. "Oh – my – God –" she turned to him. "Are – are you naked, too?"_

_The corners of his mouth curved upward slightly. "Well, yeah – but another round is not exactly in the contract."_

"_Another round –?" Haley's voice trailed off. Then she suddenly stood up with the sheets held tightly around her body. "We had _sex_ last night?!"_

"_Apparently, yes because that would explain a lot, wouldn't it?" Nathan said, looking highly amused at her reaction._

"_No – I didn't have – I couldn't have – there's no way –" She stammered as she clutched the sheets tighter. She instantly flared when Nathan was smirking at her. "We couldn't have had sex! I'm a virgin!"_

_Nathan shrugged, lifting the blanket to show her bloodstains on the bed sheet. "Wow, looks like you were."_

_Haley was practically on the verge of tears. "This cannot be happening – I should've said something last night!"_

_He smirked again then mimicked a high-pitched voice saying, "You did, and from what I could remember, it was 'Oh yes, Nathan, right there, keep it going, oh my God –!'"_

"_You're not helping! I didn't want to lose my virginity to you! I was saving myself for marriage!" Haley shouted._

_Nathan actually snorted. "You still believe in that marriage crap? Pffft, no wonder you were still a virgin."_

"_You asshole – how could you do this?!" She yelled._

"_How could _I _do this? Hey listen, whatever your name is, you wanted this as much as I wanted it so don't you go blaming me for the hot and wild sex last night. Personally, you should be congratulating yourself. Not every girl loses her virginity to _the_ Nathan Scott, you know." He said, grinning slyly._

""_You're really an arrogant jerk, aren't you? I guess the tabloids weren't lying when they said that you are nothing but a womanizer." Haley said scathingly._

_He didn't seem to be quite affected, as though he had heard that comment so many times already and looked around the messy bedroom. "Do you happen to remember where you threw my shirt last night?"_

_If looks could kill, the glare Haley was giving Nathan could've sent him straight to hell. "I am so out of here."_

_She hurriedly dressed up without a word as he watched her interestedly. She was just about to leave when she told him, "I know that you like to brag about your latest conquests but I'd really appreciate it if you don't tell anyone who I am."_

"_I don't even know what your name is." Nathan pointed out._

_For an insane moment, Haley considered telling him but then her gaze fell on the bloodstain and once again, she felt anger bubble inside her. "Good. I'd rather it stays that way."_

"_Where are you going?" He asked._

"_I'm leaving. You're used to driving women away when you're through with them, so this time, I'm going to be making it a little easier for you."_

_And with that, Haley was gone._

**Two years later…**

"Haley, I need to see you in my office right now!" Mr. Turner called.

Haley heard him from her cubicle, which was located on the far end of the office. She sighed in frustration. Today wasn't exactly the best day of her life.

She was an hour late for a meeting, the heel of her shoe broke because she had been running all the way from downtown to the office, she lost her keys and she spilled her coffee on the article she had just been editing.

Now, her boss was calling for her. This could not be good.

She dragged herself down the hall and into Mr. Turner's office. "You wanted to see me?"

"Why the hell did it take you so long? It's not like your job is that important or hectic." Mr. Turner demanded.

Haley rolled her eyes, making him smile slightly in affection. Normally, he was the kind of man that intimidated anyone but never Haley James. She wasn't afraid of him and she sure as hell didn't care if she showed it.

He admired her intelligence, her spunk, her witty humor, not to mention the fact that every man in this office wanted her. She wasn't exactly Hollywood-glamorous but she was quite the stunner, even in a plain black suit.

"Now, onto more pressing things . . . how many years have you been working as a copywriter here in the Los Angeles Times?" Mr. Turner asked.

Haley couldn't resist rolling her eyes again. How many times did he have to rub it in her face? "Two and a half years, like I needed any reminding."

"Well, how would you like it if I gave you your first exclusive story?"

She looked up at him in shock.

He was beaming at her.

"You're serious?"

"Yes, I think you're ready for your own story – er, I mean interview." Mr. Turner said.

Haley was thrilled. "Oh my God, thank you so much! What is it about? When do I start writing it? Do I get a new office?"

He laughed. "No, you don't get a new office, but I promise you that this story is going to make up for that dingy office you hate," before Haley could say anything, his intercom buzzed. "Talk to me. Yeah – she's here – they're here, too? That's great. Send them in."

"Mr. Turner, who exactly am I going to interview?" Haley asked curiously.

As if right on cue, the office door swung open and Haley's hazel eyes met the dark, midnight blue ones of Nathan Scott.

**So, any thoughts? Please lemme know.**


	3. Misunderstood

**Thanks for the reviews! Just a little heads-up; I might not be able to update as often as I do now because I'm going to be really busy for the next few weeks. Prelims are coming up and truth be told, college workload sucks. I'll try to update whenever time permits me.**

**Hugs and kisses to all!**

* * *

"_Wait!" A voice shouted as Haley made her way down the hallway._

_She was crying – stupid, really. She didn't know why exactly she was – but she couldn't help it. One night of reckless drinking and she already lost her virginity to a guy she barely even knew – much less actually seen before._

_There was a reason she was saving herself, though. She was saving it for someone – someone she dearly missed and wanted to see right now. It wasn't fair for him. She made him wait for a long time – and now, she just gave it up to someone else._

_Haley felt a hand close around her wrist, pulling her back._

_It was Nathan. He was wearing a hastily-buttoned up shirt and jeans with they fly opened slightly._

"_What do you want? I've already given my virginity to you last night. Don't tell me you want more." Haley demanded._

"_I need to know your name." He pleaded._

"_Why? So that you can tell Entertainment Tonight how you brilliantly scored a virgin in a bar?" She asked him._

"_No…I just…I want to see you again." Nathan said, blushing slightly. He didn't know why he said it, but it felt so right that he did._

_She glared at him. "No – you've already done enough. Let go off me now."_

_The look in her eyes finally made him to reluctantly let go._

_With a final scathing look, Haley turned to leave._

"_I will find out who you are." He called._

_Somehow, the thought just sent shivers up Haley's spine._

Haley felt a sickening sensation overwhelm her. It was a mixture of hatred, anger and utter shock. She wanted nothing but to beat the crap out of him.

He was as good-looking as ever, maybe even more so now that she had taken a better look at him. He had dark hair that was slightly messed up, like he just got out of bed, but was done in a very attractive sort of way. His eyes were mesmerizing – dark blue that it was almost black.

She tried to catch his eyes but he didn't seem to notice as he eagerly talked with Mr. Turner about his "excellent jump-shot."

_Try to find out who I am, he says. He doesn't even know I'm here. _Haley thought, with a rather reproachful snort. In fact, Nathan never bothered to call or write or anything for the past two years. Haley liked it better that way.

Her gaze fell on another man standing next to Nathan. He was also tall, with blond hair and serious-looking light blue eyes. He was quite good-looking and Haley knew immediately who he was.

He noticed her looking and his mouth broke into a small smile. "I'm guessing you were trying to figure out why I look so familiar."

Haley smiled back. "I already knew who you are. You're an amazing writer and I'm a proud owner of all your books."

He blushed slightly. "It's always nice to find people who enjoy my books as much as I enjoy writing them."

"I'm pretty sure you enjoy it more than your _other_ job." She pointedly glanced at Nathan.

Lucas laughed. "He's my younger brother. I always had to keep him on a short leash and sad to say, I still have to. Not to worry, I'm quite used to it now. I'm also quite used to the fact that people know me as 'Nathan Scott's brother' and not as a writer."

Haley smiled at him rather sympathetically. "Doesn't Nathan do anything about that?"

"I'm afraid not."

"Ass," she muttered before she could stop herself.

He grinned. "I take that you're not very fond of my brother. This is certainly refreshing."

Haley rolled her eyes. "It's a long story I wish I could forget."

"So have you always worked here?"

"Well – yes. I've been a copywriter for as long as I can remember and I was so excited when I found out that I was going to do my first, real article. I don't know why it had to be with _him_."

Before Lucas could say anything, they were both interrupted by Mr. Turner and Nathan.

"Okay, I think we should get started on business," Mr. Turner paused, waiting for Nathan and Lucas to take their seats. "I'm quite sure that all of you have heard about Nathan's – er, _bad_ reputation."

Both Lucas and Haley snorted in unison.

Mr. Turner glared at Haley but said nothing. Clearing his throat, he continued, "Now, in an effort to improve Nathan's reputation, he has chosen the Los Angeles Times to conduct an interview – to show that he isn't as bad as he seems."

"You're right, he's _much_ worse." Haley said loudly, feeling thrilled when Lucas grinned appreciatively.

Her boss shot Haley a warning look. "As I was saying – Nathan Scott, like many of the celebrities nowadays, is merely misunderstood and he would like to change the image people have of him."

Haley frowned slightly, confused. "So I'm going to conduct an interview that will change his 'scarred' image for good?"

Mr. Turner smiled. "Oho, this isn't going to be just any interview. It's going to be the Holy Grail of interviews. You, Haley, are going to live with Nathan Scott for two months – get to know him better, what are his quirks, his habits, who does his laundry, does he cook, what does he do in his spare time –"

Haley flew out of her chair. "_What_?! Why should I have to live with that arrogant bastard for two damned months just to tell everyone what the real Nathan Scott is?! I can tell you what he is right now – an asshole!"

Lucas dropped the sheaf of papers he was holding, staring at her in shock.

Nathan, on the other hand, looked at her as if he was watching a mildly interesting television show. Thank God he didn't seem to remember who she was at all. "Is this woman always like this?" He curiously asked Mr. Turner.

"I'm sorry, Nathan. Haley's just…outspoken –" Mr. Turner grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to the corner of the room. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"What do you think _you're_ doing? Why do I have to interview him?!"

"Haley, I had to give an arm and leg to have this interview and I'm not going to throw it away just because you don't like him. Nathan Scott is the biggest celebrity in the world and there are hundreds of thousands of publications just dying to get an interview like this! Think of all the publicity this is going to give the newspaper!" Mr. Turner said angrily.

"Yes, but why me?! I've always told you that I never liked him! Weren't you listening to me or do you just want to just torture me because it's fun?!" Haley cried angrily.

"Actually – Nathan personally chose you to give this interview. I'm just doing what he wanted."

Almost instinctively, Haley turned to him.

A small smirk spread across his face as he drawled, "I told you I'll find out who you are."

**Any thoughts or concerns??**


	4. Before Moving In

**Wow, your reviews are so effin' awesome! Because you guys are oh-so nice (and also because I have a tad bit of free time in my hands), I decided to update a few days before schedule. So please review!**

**Hugs and kisses to all!**

**----Sera**

**P.S. If you guys are reading my other story, don't forget to review that, too.**

**

* * *

****Disclaimer: **I don't own OTH, but I know I'm marrying James Lafferty. I just know it. 

Haley stared at Nathan, her mouth agape. "You're kidding me, right?" She spun to Mr. Turner. "He's kidding me – I mean, he has _got_ to be kidding me –"

Nathan shook his head. "Actually, I'm quite serious when I make promises. I never break them."

"Yeah, so you break hymens instead." Haley retorted before she could bite her tongue. God, she hated her big mouth right now. She couldn't help but throw insults and witty side-comments at him.

He grinned impishly at her. "How should I have known that you were a –"

"Okay, I think we've all had enough of this conversation," Haley said loudly before Nathan could continue. She turned to a confused-looking Mr. Turner. "Can't you just ask somebody else to do the interview?"

"I'm afraid not, Haley. Nathan specifically requested for you and he won't do the interview unless it's with you."

Haley was about to open her mouth to say something but she was silenced when Mr. Turner gave her the If-You-Don't-Do-It-You're-Fired look.

She sighed in defeat. "Oh, alright, I'll do it. When do we start?"

Mr. Turner was beaming at her. "I'm sure tomorrow wouldn't be a problem."

"Excellent. I'll have a room set up for her tonight." Nathan said gleefully.

"You should probably get going so you could pack your things," Mr. Turner suggested to Haley, who merely pretended to look excited as they walked out of the office. "You're lucky Nathan found your comments amusing."

"What am I supposed to do? I'm not exactly looking forward to spending sixty days with that arrogant jerk." Haley said angrily.

"All I'm saying is that you should learn to control that mouth of yours." Mr. Turner said.

"Yeah, Haley – who _knows_ what that mouth will be doing to me once you move in." Nathan said suggestively as he walked past them.

Haley stopped at her tracks, fury boiling inside of her. She ran up to him and demanded, "What the hell is your problem, Scott?"

"Ah, Haley – I knew you couldn't resist taking that job." Nathan said, pleased.

"I only took that job because if I don't – I'm fired! And I thought I told you to you stay away from me!"

"Yes, but you didn't say that I should stay away for the rest of our lives. There's a difference." He pointed out.

She groaned in exasperation. "How the hell did you find me?"

"It wasn't easy – and it definitely wasn't cheap, but it's worth it now that I've seen you again. I must say, you're a lot hotter than I remember."

She blushed slightly, making him smirk. "It took you two years to find me?"

"Hey, the only thing I had was a description of how you looked. Besides, if Lucas hadn't helped me, it would've taken a few more years." Nathan said defensively.

"You _helped_ him?" She repeated.

Lucas shrugged. "I didn't know you were nice. Besides, I found it rather romantic that Nathan would look for a girl he had a one-night stand with. I thought that would never happen."

Haley wished Nathan would stop grinning broadly just because she was blushing again. "Wow, it looks like I already know what to write in that interview; Nathan Scott is a stalker."

"Why can't you just admit you're flattered like a normal person?" He asked.

Haley glared at him. "I'm not flattered! Look, let me make one thing perfectly clear; I intend to make these two months strictly professional between us so don't get any ideas."

"Sure, Haley. Whatever you say." Nathan said dismissively.

"Good. I'm going home to pack. Just give me a call around five later." They exchanged cell phone numbers.

"Don't forget to pack sexy and skimpy lingerie while you're at it. It gets a bit _hot_ at night." Nathan called as she walked away, making a few people peep curiously from their cubicles.

Haley was glad that her back was turned or else he would have seen her blushing furiously.

* * *

_Knock, knock_

"I'm coming!" Haley called. She opened the door to her apartment only to see Brooke standing on her doorstep. "Brooke? What are you doing here?"

"I came to spend time with you. I've already finished my sketches last night so I'm practically free today. We can go shopping right now." Brooke said.

"I'm really sorry, Brooke but I can't. I'm kind of in the middle of something." Haley apologized.

Brooke followed her into the bedroom, frowning at the piles of clothes on the floor and the huge suitcases and bags on the bed. "Are you moving?"

"No, I just won't be living here for two months."

"Am I missing something here? Where are you going?"

Haley wasn't quite sure how to tell Brooke. Sure, they were the best of friends but this job was something completely different and nothing like what Haley usually did.

"Well, I was just given an actual interview assignment today." She began.

"Really? Hales, that's great!" Brooke said happily.

"There's just one thing – it's with Nathan Scott and I have to live with him for two months so I could get to know him more or some sort of crap –" The rest of Haley's words were drowned with Brooke's screams.

"Oh my God, Haley! Why didn't you tell me this earlier?! We have to go shopping right now!" Brooke yelled.

"What would I need with new clothes? I'm perfectly fine with my old clothes."

"Haley, we're talking about Nathan Scott here – the _hottest _celebrity in Hollywood. You can't just move in without buying new clothes!"

Brooke took out a notebook from her bag and began to write a list. "Okay, we need a new set of tops and skirts, that's for sure. And five pairs of shoes to go with them – and accessories, we need to buy some of those, too…" She looked at the pile of sleepwear on the floor, frowning distastefully. "You need hot and sexy lingerie – and lots of them."

"_Lingerie_? Brooke, I love you and you're my best friend but I seriously cannot wear lingerie there." Haley said flatly.

"And why the hell not? You aren't planning to sleep with him are you?"

"Of course not,"

"That's good – because we have to let him know what he's missing."

"Why should we do that?"

"Haley, you haven't been with a guy for more than a year now. Flirting could do you good." Brooke explained as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"You do know that he's that bastard who took away my virginity, right?" Haley asked cautiously.

Brooke waved her hand carelessly in the air. "If you ask me, it's about time you gave it up."

Haley swatted her on the shoulder. "Brooke! Chris broke up with me because of that!"

"Yeah, and then you found out the next day that he's been cheating on you all along. Personally, I think Chris is the bastard and Nathan simply helped you realize that." She said simply.

"You're only defending Nathan because you've had a crush on Lucas since forever." Haley said accusingly.

Brooke grinned rather giddily. "I expect his brother's phone number pretty soon."

Haley rolled her eyes. "That coming from someone who hasn't even _lifted_ one of his books,"

"Hey, I've lifted his books before! I just never opened them." Brooke said defensively.

She smiled. "C'mon, we better get going because we have to be finished by five tonight."

* * *

For some strange, inexplicable reason, Haley couldn't help but glance at her wall clock every thirty seconds and pace the floor worriedly.

It was already past six, and Nathan still hadn't called.

Not that she cared if he was late.

Okay, maybe a _little_ – but it was only because she wanted to get started on the interview. That was it, really.

_Six-oh-five.._

_Six-ten.._

_Six-fifteen.._

Finally, Haley couldn't take it anymore and decided to call him.

"_Congratulations, you've reached Nathan Scott's voice mail. If you're hot and sexy, leave a message after the beep. If you're not, why the hell are you calling me?"_

She began shouting, "Nathan, where the hell are you?! I told you to call me around five, not _after_ five, you idiot! I don't give a damn if you're fucking some random girl right now – you better answer the damn phone or I'll –"

The door swung open.

"Would you care to continue that threat?" Nathan asked smoothly.

Haley glared at him and demanded, "Why are you late? What part of 'around five' didn't you understand?"

"Hey, easy. Basketball practice took longer than usual and by the time it was over, it was already five-thirty, so I drove here instead." He explained.

"You could've called me." She pointed out.

"Yeah, but I wanted to see where you live so I know where I can come when I'm hor-"

"Shut up and carry my bags to the car." Haley ordered as she walked out of the apartment.

Grinning broadly, Nathan lifted her bags and followed suit.

**I hope that'll last you for a couple weeks or so. Leave a review if you liked it…**


	5. And So It Begins

**I seriously **_**loved**_** your reviews. I really didn't think my story was that great. This is a long chapter, so I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

**Hugs and kisses to all!**

**----Sera**

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* * *

**

**Disclaimer: **Anything you recognize from the show is definitely not mine.

Haley stood next to the front door of the dark Porsche, tapping her foot on the ground. Annoyingly enough, Nathan was taking his sweet time putting her bags in the trunk.

"Nathan, if two suitcases were too heavy for you to lift, I could have just done it myself." Haley said impatiently.

He returned, grinning slightly. She cast him a suspicious look but he was already starting the engine.

Nathan looked up at her. "Why the hell are you still outside?"

"You're not even going to open the door for me, are you?"

"Do I look like a chauffer?"

Haley threw him an enraged look. "God, you are just so –"

"- hot and sexy that you couldn't wait to go home and get it on?" Nathan finished, smirking.

"Actually, I was going to say 'so much of a maddening pain in the ass.'" Haley said coolly as she got into the car.

"Do you _want_ me to be a maddening pain in your ass?" He asked suggestively.

She began to pretend that she was having a hard time breathing. "God, it's stuffy in here – I could barely breathe – oh wait, it's just Nathan Scott's freakishly huge ego taking up all the air."

He simply grinned at her as they began to cruise down the highway.

The silence between them was already deafening Nathan so he spoke up, "Trying to figure out what you're going to write about me?"

"Excuse me?"

"Well, you've been so quiet that I would naturally assume that you're thinking of questions to ask me. Don't worry, Haley – I know you're excited, but you have two months to work on it."

She raised a brow at him. "There's that ego again. Seriously, how can your body support all that heavy weight?"

"I work out," he said simply.

_Yeah, I've noticed._ Haley may have despised him and all, but there was no questioning the fact that Nathan Scott was very fit.

She ignored his answer and began to go through the stack of CD's on his dashboard and glove compartment. Haley made a face as she threw each record over her shoulder.

"Hey – those were alphabetized!" Nathan cried indignantly.

She couldn't resist rolling her eyes at him. "You are such a loser. What kind of guy alphabetizes his rap music collection?" She paused, glancing at one record in her hand. "I don't think you could even classify it as music."

"It _is_ music – it has background melody, doesn't it?!"

"Could you even understand _half_ of the words these rappers are saying?"

"Yes! I can do even better, watch –" Nathan began to play one of 50 Cent's songs in full volume and began to rap with him. When the chorus came and 50 Cent was actually singing the lyrics, Nathan joined in.

Haley quickly shut the music off. "Ugh, no wonder you rap – you sing terribly."

"I don't think I'm _that_ bad." He said defensively.

"Ever heard alley cats fight at night?" She asked, grinning.

Instead of looking offended, Nathan gazed at her strangely.

Haley immediately raised a hand to her face. "What? Do I have something on my face?"

"No – it's your smile – I've never seen it."

"What am I – the Grinch? Of course I smile."

"Yeah, but you never smiled _at_ me. It's beautiful,"

She blushed, shifting uncomfortably in her seat, knowing that his eyes were still on her.

"Nathan – watch the road!" Haley screamed.

He looked up to see a huge truck heading their way. They were obviously driving on the wrong side of the road. "Shit!" He swerved, nearly hitting a passerby standing on the sidewalk and narrowly missing several other cars.

Nathan parked on the sidewalk of a nearly deserted street and immediately got out of the car.

Haley followed suit and began yelling, "You asshole, what the fuck is wrong with you? Are you too stupid to tell whether you're driving on the right side of the road or not?! Damn it, Nathan – are you even listening to me?!"

He was too busy circling and closely scrutinizing the car. "Good – no scratches."

Her jaw dropped. "_No scratches_?! We could've _died_ right then and there and you're worried if your precious car has scratches?! _Un – be – lievable. _Once again, you have proven to me what an insufferable blind idiot you are because I could have _sworn_ that you knew what side of the road we were on but _no _– you were too busy 'singing' to your bullshit music and saying how beautiful my fucking smile was!"

"You're right. This wouldn't look so good on the cover of People Magazine." Nathan said quietly.

"Especially if we were in body bags!" Haley shouted.

"Well – if you hadn't been making a mess of my CD collection, I wouldn't have been distracted." He said accusingly.

"Oh sure, blame the innocent passenger for our near-death experience! C'mon, I wanna go home." Haley grabbed his keys and walked towards the driver's seat.

"Whoa – you are not driving my car back." Nathan said, grabbing her arm.

"What? Why not?"

"You might crash it into a tree or something."

She gaped at him. "You nearly killed the both of us a couple minutes ago and you're telling me that _I _might crash into a tree? We nearly crashed into a freaking truck! You tell me what could've killed us – crashing into a truck or a tree!"

"Look, I can't just let you drive _my_ car." He said heatedly.

"What is with that Nathan Scott ego? Honestly, it's amazing how that ego does not come out of your ears," Haley said exasperatedly. When she saw that he was completely adamant about her driving the car, she threw his keys back at him. "Fine – drive us home then. I hope it's a long drive because I'm going to write my last will and testament during that time."

"Very funny, Haley but we're not leaving yet."

"Why?"

"By now, a lot of people will be wondering whose car nearly hit that truck and if they recognize my car when we leave now, it wouldn't look too good for me." Nathan explained.

"Oh gee, I wonder whose fault it was." Haley said sarcastically.

"I'm calling Lucas to pick us up."

"No – I'm calling Brooke." She interjected.

"What's wrong with Lucas?"

"Nothing! I'd just feel better if Brooke picked us up."

"Yeah, listening to two women talk endlessly in my car is really inviting. I'm calling Lucas and that's final." He said firmly.

"Whatever. I'm calling Brooke."

He sighed in annoyance and dialed Lucas' number. "Luke – it's Nathan. Yeah – we sort of got into an accident – _no_, I didn't hit anyone like last time – hey, just because you're older than me doesn't mean you get to call me an idiot – will you stop sounding like mom and just come here already? I'm not drunk! Damn it – just get over here!"

Meanwhile, Haley was in already talking to Brooke. "Brooke – we got into an accident – I'm fine, don't worry. We just need someone to pick us up. Yeah, the _moron_ over here thought it would be fun to drive on the wrong side of the road. I know – you'd think that if he has the hand and eye coordination to shoot a basket, he'd know how to drive properly! We're in the corner of Sixth Avenue and the highway. Thanks so much, Brooke."

Haley completely ignored Nathan while they waited for Brooke and Lucas to show up. First to arrive was Lucas with his car.

He waved politely at Haley. "I'm really sorry about Nathan. I hope you weren't seriously injured."

"Ask him if he injured his brain before he drove us." Haley said, throwing Nathan an angry glare.

Just then, Brooke arrived in a cab. "Hey, Tutor Girl. I came as fast as I could. Are you okay?"

She nodded in reply. "Oh, yeah – I forgot to introduce you. Brooke, this is Nathan – my Almost-Murderer, and his brother, Lucas."

Brooke's face broke into a smile. "Nice to meet you, Lucas,"

"Hey, I'm right here, you know." Nathan said indignantly.

"The pleasure's all mine. You're Brooke Davis, aren't you?" Lucas said, smiling.

"The one and only," she answered. "You're that writer, aren't you? I love your work. It would be great if we could discuss one of your books over coffee or something."

"That sounds great to me. I hope you're free this week."

"For you – I'll be free every day." Brooke said flirtatiously.

Haley could've sworn she threw up in her mouth. "Could we just get out of here?" She asked loudly.

"What? Oh yeah, sure. Triple A will just pick up your car in the morning, Nate." Lucas said distractedly, as he helped Brooke and Haley into his car.

* * *

"Well, tonight was certainly an adventure. I'm really tired so maybe it would be nice if you showed me to my room." Haley said as they walked inside Nathan's huge mansion.

She couldn't help but admire how tastefully furnished it was and how she could fit three of her apartments in his living room.

"You can take the master's bedroom if you want. It's the least I can do." He said, showing her his bedroom.

Haley walked inside, throwing herself on the soft, plush bed. The ceiling was one big mirror and there was an entire bookcase dedicated to all his basketball achievements since elementary school.

The marble floor was so shiny that Haley could see her reflection on it and there was a twenty-two inch plasma screen television in the wall. When she stood up to put away her things, she wasn't surprised to see that Nathan had a walk-in closet.

After taking a long, hot shower, Haley put on a pair of black silk undergarments and crawled under the covers. It wasn't long until she was fast asleep.

Then she heard the faint sound of running water – then footsteps. She felt the bed ease lower to her left and then felt slightly damp skin against her back.

Haley quickly sat up. Nathan was lying next to her and God forbid, wearing nothing but boxers. She forced herself to look away from his chest and straight at him. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Going to bed," he answered.

"I can see that – but why here?"

"Well, this _is_ my room."

"Not anymore. You said that this could be my room."

"Yes, but it's also mine. I clearly gave you the option to either pick this room or something else." He said smugly.

"Will you get out of here?!" She demanded.

"You can't drive me away. This is my room." Nathan said.

"Fine. You sleep sitting up then." She said, lying back down.

He sat up and grinned mischievously. "That's actually not a bad idea. The view's great up here."

Noticing that his gaze was on her chest, Haley quickly got up. "You disgusting perv. First you try and get us killed, and now this. I am so out of here."

Highly amused, he watched her leave. Then he called, "I like your choice of sleepwear!"

**Please review…**


	6. A Note for You All

**Please read this ridiculously long author's note because it is very important that you do so... you'll sincerely regret it if you don't.**

Hello, dear readers..

I'm sorry, but this is _not_ a chapter update (fooled you there, didn't I?). I'm really sorry about that. I just want to let you guys know that I've already written the next chapters of both Collide and It's Over, I Think - the sad part is, I won't be able to update - for several very important reasons. One, is that my computer crashed and all my documents are missing - which means I have to rewrite it. Damn.

Two, is that I'm going to be incredibly busy this month with school. I have no idea why they have to bombard us with so much work that it's impossible to get five hours of sleep every night. Seriously, I'm half-asleep typing this and coffee is the only thing that's keeping me going. In case you're wondering, I'm actually from Asia and over here, school just started last June.

Three, the new Harry Potter book is coming out this Saturday (happy dance)!!! I don't know if you guys actually like the series, but I am completely obsessed with the whole thing. I practically grew up with the series and I live and breathe it (okay, not really. But you get the point). This means that even if my computer is finally okay, I might not be able to update because it's either I'm too engrossed reading it _or_ I was too shocked by the story that I have lost the fervor to update.

Four, I'm still getting over my disappointment with the latest Harry Potter movie. Seriously, I expected SOOO much more. They removed the scenes I was looking forward to! Gosh, they just ruined the book.

I hope you haven't fallen asleep at this point because I have a huge surprise for you guys! Drumroll please...

**SPOILERS!**

(bows gracefully while crowd claps loudly)

**From It's Over, I Think:**

_"We need to talk."_

_Brooke turned to see Lucas standing behind her. "I'm not in the mood to hear you get mad at me again, Luke."_

_"I'm not here to tell you I hate you."_

_"Really? Congratulations."_

_"I still love you, damn it!"_

_She gaped at him._

_"Now that I finally have your attention, will you listen to me before I change my mind?"_

_-_

_Haley crawled into a sleeping Nathan's arms, letting her body snuggle into his._

_She felt her heart heave painfully. "I don't want to leave tomorrow, Nathan. I don't want to forget this - to forget us."_

_His eyes flew open as he leaned down, his lips hovering over hers and his arms pulling her closer. "I'll make sure you never will."_

**From Collide:**

_"What's this I hear about you living with Nathan Scott for two months?" Peyton asked._

_"Yeah. It's been like hell."_

_"Really? I did enjoy watching you dance around the kitchen in your sexy sleepwear this morning. That's definitely not hell to me." Nathan's amused voice said from behind them._

_"What are you doing here? Have you been following me?" Haley demanded._

_"Why Haley, how dare you accuse me of such a thing?" He glanced at Peyton's car then told her, "Do you have any idea how hard it was trying to keep up with your car awhile ago? How much horsepower does it have?"_

_-_

_"Honestly, I don't even know how anybody could possibly like you." Haley told Nathan._

_"I like him." Peyton piped up._

_"Yes, I like myself, too." Nathan said, grinning._

_"Hales, why don't you just try to like Nathan, even for a while?" Jake asked._

_"I'm sorry Jake, but if Nathan thinks I'm going to suddenly proclaim what a great guy he is and then we'll both sing Kumbaya together as we run off into the sunset, then he must be insane." Haley said firmly._

_"Okay, personally, I'm not a huge fan of Kumbaya, but maybe if you sang it in that underwear last night, I might just be persuaded." Nathan teased._

I hope those spoilers will last you for a few days - or weeks. I don't know.

Hugs and kisses to all!

----Sera


	7. Of Singing and Innuendos

**Hello, beloved readers! I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all those sweet readers who even reviewed the author's note. I love you guys!**

**Gosh, I've been so messed up since the Harry Potter book! It was really great – no, **_**amazing**_** – but gosh, the deaths are heartbreaking! I hope this chapter is up to par with the previous ones because I really took those deaths seriously. It sucks (I still adore you, Jo!) but whatever. The series is still one of the greatest literary masterpieces in history and I'm so glad that I was able to be part of it.**

**Anyway, I am so sorry that it took me such a long time to update this story when I updated the other one. The truth is I was going to update "Collide" the next day but a lot of personal things kept getting in the way. It's a terribly difficult thing to go through, but things are looking up a bit now, and I can't just leave you guys hanging when you are just the most amazing readers ever.**

**I made this chapter extra lengthy just for you guys, so enjoy!**

**Hugs and kisses to all!**

**----Sera**

**P.S. The lyrics are from 4Ever by The Veronicas. Personally, I love the song.**

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****Disclaimer: **Three words – I own nothing. 

_He was standing in the middle of the airport, anxiously waiting for her to arrive. He searched the crowd for her familiar face but it wasn't there._

_How long had he been waiting for her? An hour – maybe two? A day, perhaps even more?_

"_She's not coming, Nathan." Lucas said from behind him._

"_No – she's coming – I know she is!" Nathan insisted._

"_She's not coming back to you."_

"_She is – she promised!" He cried in a panicked voice, looking around frantically for her. The realization sank in. "No – no – no . . ."_

_He wished he could see those beautiful eyes again – those eyes that had mesmerized him from the beginning. "No – she's here – I'm sure she is!"_

_Nathan turned to Lucas, who was laughing maniacally behind him. "She's never coming back."_

Just then, Nathan awoke to a woman singing at the top of her lungs from the kitchen.

He groaned, trying to ignore the voice as he pulled the blanket tighter over his head. Unfortunately, the voice was only singing louder.

Nathan swore under his breath and stared at the ceiling in annoyance. "Damn it, Haley."

_Here we are so what you gonna do_

_Do I gotta spell it out for you_

_I can see that you got other plans but tonight,_

_But I don't really care_

Now that he actually got a good listen, Haley was a pretty good singer. Hell, she was an amazing singer.

_Size me up, you know I'll be the best_

_Tick-tock, no time to rest_

_Let them say what they're gonna say but tonight,_

_I just don't really care_

He quickly threw on a pair of jeans and went to the kitchen. God, he was glad her back was turned and her eyes were closed because she would have seen the sudden bulge in his pants.

She was wearing the same sleepwear last night but now that it was broad daylight, he was able to see how incredibly sexy her figure was, and how tempting she was right now. Her iPod's earphones were on and she was dancing around in the kitchen while singing.

_Come on baby, we ain't gonna live forever_

_Let me show you all the things that we could do_

_You know you wanna be together_

_And I wanna spend the night with you_

Her voice caught in her throat when she turned around to see him standing in the doorway, wearing nothing but jeans on and watching her with great interest.

"That's actually not a very bad idea, Haley." He teased.

She couldn't help but stare at his well-defined, muscular chest. Her gaze lingered on his ripped, six-pack abs and she felt her mouth run dry. When she realized what she was doing, she glared at him.

"What are you doing?" Haley asked indignantly.

"Wow, Haley – if you did this every morning, I wouldn't mind waking up early from now on." He said, grinning.

She blushed hotly. "You could've told me you were already here!"

"What – and interrupt a most entertaining dance? No way."

"You're disgusting." She spat at him.

He merely raised an amused brow at her. "Tell me Haley, doesn't the next part of that song go, '_Come with me tonight, we can make the night last forever'_? That can easily be arranged. All we need is a couple hard drinks and –"

Haley tried to glare at him but she all she could do was to stare stupidly at his chest while he grinned lazily at her.

_Damn it, whatever you do – do _not _stare at his chest, or God forbid, what's below it – do not look like you're turned out –_

"Care to share those thoughts?" He drawled.

She blushed hotly again, knowing fully well what he meant. Nathan was already undressing her with his intense blue eyes and she quickly tried to leave. "I have to – go – work –"

With great difficulty, she tore her gaze from him and proceeded to leave the kitchen. In her hurry, she walked straight into the wall, making her swear loudly.

Nathan couldn't suppress a grin but he chose not to make a wise-ass comment, seeing as she was already flustered enough. "Where do you think you're going?"

He followed her into her bedroom, resisting the temptation to look through her drawers to find something _interesting_. Her back was turned to him so he couldn't see what her facial expression was. "I'm going to get ready for work."

"Wait a second – I thought I was your job."

She turned to face him. "In case you haven't noticed, the world doesn't revolve around you – and neither will mine."

He smirked as he watched her lock herself in her bathroom. "That's only now."

* * *

"Thanks a lot, Peyton. You have no idea how much I owe you right now." Haley said as she got into Peyton's car.

Jake grinned at her from the driver's seat. "What's the big emergency?"

"I just – need to get away."

"So far away that you're miles away from your house?" Peyton asked, arching a brow.

Haley glanced warily at Nathan's huge mansion estate that was sitting atop of a hill. "Yeah, I wanted to take a walk."

Jake frowned slightly as if he was trying to figure out whose house it was. Then shrugging, he started the engine and they drove off until they arrived to a quaint restaurant downtown.

"Okay, I know that it must be really weird that I have to call you all of a sudden and ask if we could have a luncheon when you guys know that I'm such a controlling workaholic and –" Haley began.

"He's driving you insane, isn't he?" She asked, smiling slightly.

"Excuse me?"

Peyton merely smiled rather devilishly at her.

Confused, Haley asked, "What are you smiling at?"

She turned to Jake for an explanation but his facial expression was as puzzled as hers.

After a few moments, Peyton said, "So what's this I hear from Brooke about you living with Nathan Scott for two months?"

Haley grimaced, realizing that she hadn't come around to telling Peyton yet. Jake looked up with sudden interest. "Yeah, it's been like hell."

"Really? I did enjoy watching you dance around the kitchen in your sexy sleepwear this morning. That's definitely not hell to me." Nathan's amused voice said from behind them.

"What are you doing here? Have you been following me?" Haley demanded.

"Why Haley, how dare you accuse me of such a thing?" He glanced at Peyton's car then told her, "Do you have any idea how hard it was trying to keep up with your car awhile ago? How much horsepower does it have?"

Haley opened her mouth to angrily retort something but Jake suddenly strode over to Nathan and shook his hand enthusiastically. "Nathan Scott in the flesh – wow, it's great to finally meet you."

"Yes, I know – people say that to me all the time." He said smoothly.

Haley rolled her eyes in annoyance while Jake looked like he was in the actual presence of God or something. "I'm Jake Jagelski – I'm a huge fan and I've watched all your games. They were all fantastic."

Nathan's brow suddenly raised. "Are you Jake Jagelski – as in the world's best record producer – _that _Jake Jagelski?"

He nodded.

Nathan grinned. "Dude – I love all your company's music – I have every record back home, it's fuckin' awesome."

"Nathan – will you stop complimenting Jake before he wets himself?" Haley asked loudly, noticing how even more excited Jake was becoming.

"Oh, I'm sorry – Nathan, this is my beautiful wife, Peyton." He motioned to Peyton, who stood up and smiled warmly at him.

Nathan's eyes drifted to the noticeable bump of her stomach beneath her blouse and he flashed her an equally warm smile. "So you're the woman behind Jake?"

"That and the woman behind all the success," she said, winking at Jake who pretended to look offended.

Haley wondered that if Peyton weren't pregnant, Nathan would consider having an affair with her. She wouldn't be surprised if he would – it happened countless times before. "Could we just get to the answer of why the hell this asshole is here?"

"Hey, it's not my fault your friends find me more interesting." Nathan said defensively.

"Honestly, I don't even know how anybody could possibly like you." Haley told him scathingly.

"I like him." Peyton piped up.

"Yes, I like myself, too." Nathan said, grinning.

"Hales, why don't you just try to like Nathan, even for a while?" Jake asked.

"I'm sorry Jake, but if Nathan thinks I'm going to suddenly proclaim what a great guy he is and then we'll both sing Kumbaya together as we run off into the sunset, then he must be insane." Haley said firmly.

"Okay, personally, I'm not a huge fan of Kumbaya, but maybe if you sang it in that underwear last night, I might just be persuaded." Nathan teased.

Peyton threw her a slightly surprised but more intuitive look that clearly said, "You have a _lot_ of explaining to do."

Haley sighed in exasperation. "Would you please lay off the sexual innuendo for at least five minutes? Seriously, I'm starting to realize that it's the only thing that goes through your mind."

"Hold on – I thought you were going to work." He said accusingly.

"I was! I was just getting hungry, that's all." Haley lied.

"Well honey, if you were really hungry, all you had to do was ask." Nathan said, raising his brow suggestively.

Haley reached over and hit him on the back of his head. "It wasn't even _half_ of five minutes yet, you perverted idiot!!"

Peyton and Jake watched the both of them bicker as if it was the most entertaining show on the planet.

"This is going to be interesting." She said.

Jake leaned back on his chair so it tilted back slightly. "Yep, I can just _feel_ the love between them."

**I hope you guys liked it! Don't forget to click that little "go" button.**


	8. Bickering Leads To    Elevators?

**Thank you guys SO much for those amazing, amazing reviews! Please keep them coming because they inspire me to come up with even more entertaining Naley bickering and maybe a little action (cough, cough)?**

**Anyway, I'm supposed to be reviewing for a biology quiz tomorrow (Biology is my major, in case you're nice enough to wonder) but since nothing seems to be sticking, I decided to update instead. I hope it works because I'd hate to fail.**

**I made this chapter lengthy, so I hope my list of reviews is lengthy, too (wink, wink).**

**Hugs and kisses to all!**

**----Sera**

**

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**

**Disclaimer: **Mark Schwahn is (insert highly-exaggerated-to-the-point-of-causing-slight-discomfort praising adjective here) and I wish I were him.

_Three-time-MVP-winner and People Magazine's World Sexiest Man Alive, Nathan Scott was seen leaving the club __Rush__ early yesterday morning – but no, not with a handful of women but this time, with world-renowned million-dollar-music producer Jake Jagelski._

_Our cameras once again spotted Nathan entering a Starbucks café a little later that morning with a few of his teammates. When asked how this sudden friendship began, a rather irate (and most probably hung-over) Nathan brusquely said, "We met through a common friend."_

_Now this has brought about a lot of intriguing speculations about who exactly this "common friend" is. Rumors have risen that this friend could possibly be Jake's beautiful wife, Peyton, who is currently pregnant with their first child – or perhaps, someone they had both met in the bar?_

_Mr. and Mrs. Jagelski's rep told us in a phone call today, "We are not disclosing anything to the public over such a trivial issue of Mr. Scott and Mr. Jagelski's circle of friends. They are simply two men who enjoy each other's company regardless of who introduced whom."_

_Still, the curiosity hangs as we watch Hollywood's hottest bachelor beneath the harsh glare of the paparazzi lights. Coming up – how is Nathan preparing for his upcoming game next Saturday? Ryan Seacrest has all the answers after the break._

Sighing in frustration, Nathan shut the television off.

"I was watching that." Haley said suddenly as she joined him on the couch.

"Well I've had just about enough of it. It's pointless crap, if you ask me."

"A bit irritable, I see. I must say, I'm beginning to like this side of you. It's less – the normal _you, _not that it's normal or anything," she said, smiling slightly. "Had a little too much to drink last night, haven't you? I'm not surprised. You came home pretty late last night – _again_."

He cocked his head slightly in surprise, a small smile flitting on his face. "How did you know I came home late last night? Wait a second –"

Haley suddenly reddened as she quickly tried to set things but straight but Nathan was smirking at her, making her blush even more.

"You were waiting up for me, weren't you?" Nathan asked excitedly. "You couldn't sleep last night because you were worried about where I was – and what I was doing and why the hell I wasn't home yet when I should have been hours ago – weren't you, Haley?"

She was blushing to her roots, but this time, it was not only out of embarrassment. "You and your imagination – sometimes I wonder if you even have one rational thought in that brain – if there _is_ a brain."

"Well you see, my imagination and I get along really well. Sometimes, when I think of you, my imagination goes into overdrive and I remember you ripping off my shirt and –"

"Shut up before I kick your ass to next week," Haley interjected. Despite how drunk she was that night, the sex was so incredible that she remembered parts of it – hell, she remembered _too much_ of it. "The point is, I wasn't waiting up for you so don't got thinking I was."

"Yeah, well why else were you awake then, hmmm?" Nathan challenged.

"I was editing an article." Haley said so promptly that he wasn't sure if it were true or not.

"I figured you'd be happy I'm not always around."

"I am – but I also do not like the fact that you and Jake have been spending so much time together." Haley said.

"Honey, if you want me to go drinking with you – it's not the only way to get into my pants, okay?" Nathan said smoothly.

Haley swatted him on the back of the head. "So you admit it – you've been drinking and picking up women with Jake?"

Nathan burst out laughing. "Yes to the drinking but no to the picking – Haley, the guy's married to a pregnant wife. I couldn't just shamelessly flirt with a dozen hot women just to show what the guy's been missing. That would be rude."

She frowned slightly. "But isn't that the kind of thing you would normally do?"

"Not when he's in love."

And for the first time since they began living together, Haley saw Nathan in a slightly different light.

* * *

"I'm off to work!" Haley shouted as she grabbed the car keys.

It was funny. Since their little talk two days ago, things between her and Nathan have been a bit subdued. They weren't bickering as often as they should – but there was no damn way Haley missed bickering with him.

_No damn way._

_Yeah, right. And I'm two-headed squirrel._ Another voice in her head snorted.

Nathan immediately followed her, grabbing the keys away from her. "Excellent, now get in the car."

Haley stared at him, dumbfounded. "You're not, by any chance, planning to drive me to work, are you?"

"As a matter of fact, I am. Now get in." Nathan said briskly as he started the car engine.

"Nathan Scott – there is no damn way I am getting into that car with you."

"And why is that?"

"Remember the last time I got into a car with you? You almost had us both killed. There's no way I'm taking any chances." Haley said flatly.

"How the hell do you think I drive to practice and home alive?" Nathan asked indignantly.

"I am not getting in that car with you. As a matter of fact, I'd rather take a bus than walk with you."

"That would just be a complete waste of time, wouldn't it?"

"No, standing here talking to you is a waste of time."

Haley turned to leave when Nathan suddenly said, "If you take a bus, you're going to be late for your eight o-clock meeting."

She spun around, glaring at him. "How did you know I have an eight o-clock meeting today?"

"I browsed through your PDA." He replied in a tone of pride.

Haley flared up immediately. "How _dare_ you go through my personal stuff without my permission – I cannot believe that you're even proud of yourself right now!"

"Hey, it wasn't easy sneaking that thing from your bag – and those passwords – _God_, it's not like you have anything to hide in there, although I did enjoy those pictures of you in a bikini in the company picnic. Remind me to send those to my computer tonight." Nathan said, grinning.

She blushed slightly, making him smirk. "You think you're so clever, don't you?"

"Honey, I already _know_ I'm clever." He said coolly.

She rolled her eyes at him. "There's that annoying ego – _again_. I honestly don't know how you could possibly make it through a day without being so arrogant and conceited –"

"It's eight-oh-five." He said in a singsong voice.

"Don't interrupt me. It's bad enough you're so conceited but to actually torture me with it every single day – _did you say eight-oh-five_?" Haley repeated shrilly.

"Actually, it's almost eight-oh-six."

"Oh shit," she got into the car. "I have to get to work now."

"I thought you didn't want to ride with me." Nathan asked teasingly, enjoying how infuriated he was making her.

"_Will you just fucking leave already_?! It's eight-oh-seven!"

They arrived at the Los Angeles Times building a few minutes later. Without another word, Haley got out of the car and began to walk briskly into the building. She was so hurried that she didn't even notice that Nathan was following her.

"Nathan – why are you following me to work?" She suddenly asked when they were both in the elevator alone.

"I have to make sure you're safe." He explained.

"It's not like a serial killer is hiding behind a copying machine or something." She insisted, rolling her eyes.

"A mere 'thank you' would do." He said pointedly.

Haley was too busy glancing at her watch every five seconds to make a witty comeback. She couldn't keep still – as if she desperately needed to use the bathroom.

"Will you stop being so jumpy? You're already late so there's no use in hurrying up – unless this elevator can go up faster." Nathan said.

"Damn, why did our office have to be in the topmost floor, anyway?" Haley said, running her hand through her hair in impatience.

"You, my dear, need to chill out."

"_Chill out – _how can I possibly chill out at a time like this?! I have never, ever been late for a single thing in my life and you expect me to –" Haley's breath caught in her throat.

Nathan was clutching her shoulders tightly and her body was pressed against his. He was much too close – she could see her reflection in his amazingly dark blue eyes, feel his heartbeat race all of a sudden – or was it her heartbeat? She wasn't sure.

His breath was warm against her ear, sending shivers down her spine. "You are too tense – and have a bit of OCD."

The initial indignity was gone and was instead replaced by a sudden heat deliciously racing to every inch of her body, especially between her legs. Her knees were weak and she felt like she could collapse any second now. Nathan felt her shoulders relax and he cupped her bottom so her hips were against his. He smirked when she let out a soft moan.

Suddenly, the lights began to flicker. Haley looked up nervously and the next moment, the elevator gave a weird shudder and came to a complete halt.

Her voice was high-pitched as she asked, "Nathan, are – are we stuck?"

**Haha, more awkward situations for our favorite TV couple.**

**By the way you guys, while reading your reviews, I noticed that only one of you remembered the beginning of the previous chapter (Nathan's dream). Kudos to you ****Inzie23**** for that! Please remember it because it plays quite an interesting ploy later in the story. Ar-en-ar.**


	9. Did We Just Have a Moment?

**Hi guys! Thank you for your wonderful reviews. They always make my day – and the rest of the week, for that matter. I am so sorry it took me a long time to update. There's just a lot going on in my life right now, and it gets very difficult trying to keep up with it.**

**Anyway, enjoy this chapter. I think you guys might like it.**

**Hugs and kisses to all!**

**----Sera**

**

* * *

****Disclaimer: **If I were Mark Schwahn – Brooke and Lucas would be together, Peyton, Jake and Jenny are a happy family and there will be loads more Nathan and Haley scenes. So obviously, I am _not_ him. 

"Nathan, are – are we stuck?" Haley repeated, her voice shriller.

"Oh no, the elevator's still moving and we're on our way to Disney World – _of course we're stuck_." Nathan said impatiently.

She rolled her eyes at him. "Sarcasm does _not_ suit you. We have to call somebody."

He took out his cell phone. "Damn, there's no reception here."

"You idiot, I meant ring the emergency bell of the elevator." Haley said, rolling her eyes again.

"Oh, right – I knew that." Nathan mumbled.

She began pressing the emergency bell but for some reason, there was no sound. "What the –" She repeatedly pressed it, until he grabbed her wrist for her to stop. "It's not working!"

"You think?"

Haley opened her mouth to retort something particularly nasty when the elevator gave another shudder, this time stronger than the last. She screamed and threw her arms around Nathan's neck, her head buried in his chest.

"Oh my God, the elevator cable is going to snap and we're gonna fall down the elevator shaft and die!"

"I don't mind dying like this." Nathan grinned down at her.

She gave him a disgusted look and quickly took a step back. "Always the sexual innuendo... it's getting a bit annoying now."

"But it never gets old." He pointed out.

Haley shook her head in exasperation as she turned around, hiding a small smile on her face. What was she doing? Could she actually think that what he said was funny?

_Get a grip on yourself, Haley. There are other more important things to worry about – like being late for that very important meeting, for example. _

"This cannot be happening . . . I swear to God . . . I am going to miss that meeting and lose my job, I just know it," Haley threw herself on the elevator floor, burying her face into her hands while she muttered incoherent things. "This is probably the worst day of my entire life."

Nathan sat down next to her. "Well, it could be worse."

"How worse could it possibly get?"

"You could be stuck in an elevator with a short, balding old dude who smells like rotten cabbage that when he talks to you, he's practically yelling while he waves his walking stick in front of your face."

This time, Haley couldn't hide a smile.

Nathan smiled back. "See . . . getting stuck in an elevator with me isn't _that_ bad."

"This doesn't change the fact that I am missing what could possibly be the most important meeting of my career…"

"-You're probably going to talk about me."

Haley chose to ignore his side-comment while she continued, "…and I could just imagine Turner yelling to me that I'm fired."

"Hey, hey, it wasn't your fault that the elevator broke down." Nathan said gently.

"That also doesn't change the fact that I should've been here hours ago, and not when the meeting is just about to start." She said miserably.

"Look, if ever Turner _does_ get mad at you later for being late, I'll take the blame for it so you won't get in trouble. It's my fault you were late in the first place." He said firmly.

"You'd do that?" Haley asked, looking up at him curiously.

He nodded. "I can't let you take the fall for something I did. It wouldn't be right."

Haley smiled again, unable to say the emotions and thoughts running through her right now. Somehow, there were no words needed as he smiled back at her, as if he understood what she could've said, but didn't.

Her gaze fell his feet. She suddenly asked, "What size are your shoes?"

Nathan raised a questioning brow at her but nevertheless, he answered, "Twelve."

"Wow, you have big feet." She remarked.

He smirked. "Well, you know what they say about the size of men's feet – it's as big as their –"

"I know that saying." Haley said, cutting him off.

Nathan shrugged. "Of course, _you_ would know what I mean, having experienced it and all."

Haley threw him a glare while she swatted his shoulder. "Must you always throw in those innuendos?"

"Only if I'm around hot girls – and don't answer with something witty – I know you're flattered." He said flatly.

She blushed. "Can I ask you something?"

He nodded, not saying anything.

"Why did you look for me?"

Nathan was quiet for awhile. Just when Haley thought he wasn't going to answer, he said, "I think you know that I usually don't look for girls I have one-night stands with. It's just that – when I wake up with a different girl, that girl usually begs me to stay, or gives me her number or something. But you – you just left, and I wanted to know why…" he paused. "I also wanted to apologize. I didn't mean to take away your virginity. I was surprised that it meant so much to you, when it's just a thing of the past for me. Trust me, you did _not_ look like a virgin."

Haley's once-angry look softened. She didn't know what to say. In fact, she was stunned. She took his hand, feeling jolts of electricity when they touched. She gazed up into his eyes, knowing that he felt them, too. "That's the sweetest thing any guy ever said to me."

"I hope nothing bad happened after we slept together." He said worriedly.

She hesitated, thinking about Chris. It was bound to end, anyway. She shook her head. "No. In fact, because you took away my virginity, my boyfriend broke up with me."

Nathan looked shocked. "Haley – I'm sorry – I didn't –"

She held up a hand to stop him. "It doesn't matter. I wouldn't have wanted to give it to him. He had been cheating on my all along. He's not worth saving my virginity for."

"I'm not worth it, either."

_You're wrong._ She moved closer so their foreheads touched. Nathan cradled the side of her face with one hand, his dark eyes boring into hers as a million unspoken things were said through their eyes.

One arm encircled her waist while he pulled her closer so their knees touched. She didn't object as her arms snaked around his neck. Very lightly, he gently brushed his lips over hers. It was only like a breath of air but to Haley, she felt the full, dizzying impact when it happened. Her lips instantly parted, giving him the cue to kiss her.

He tilted her head back, while one thumb grazed her cheekbone. He searched her eyes for any sign that he should stop but he was only met by hazel eyes full of desire. It was then Nathan knew what he had to do.

Just when he was about to kiss her, the elevator doors sprang open.

"Nathan Scott – Miss James – Are you both okay? Are you hurt?" It was the chief mechanic who worked in the building. Behind him, there were at least two dozen people craning their necks to see who were trapped in the elevator.

Haley jumped up, avoiding Nathan's gaze as she stepped out of the elevator. "We're fine, Bert. I hope Mr. Turner knows I was stuck here."

"I'll send one of my men to tell him, Miss James. Are you sure you and Mr. Scott are alright?"

Haley was afraid to look back but she heard Nathan say brusquely, "Yeah. We're fine."

* * *

**Sorry guys, no sex, but I wanted them to start seeing each other in a different light and this is one of the scenes where they do. I hope you liked it! Ar-en-ar.**


	10. Frustrated

**Okay, okay, so I haven't updated in like – forever – but I have a very good reason why. School has got me totally swamped and I've been so uninspired lately, so I'm sorry if this chapter may not be that good. As for my other story, that will be updated soon. I just need a bit more time to be inspired for it, since it's the last chapter already.**

**Anyway, I'll stop my rambling now.**

**Please review, and again, I'm so sorry. Thanks for bearing with me!**

**Hugs and kisses to all!**

**----Sera**

**

* * *

**Haley awoke the next morning to the tasteful aroma of pancakes wafting from the kitchen and into her bedroom. She frowned, wondering how the hell Nathan was able to buy pancakes that early in the morning. Nathan never cooked because he absolutely sucked in it. In fact, there was one particular incident… 

_Haley was in her bedroom, typing the first paragraph of her interview about Nathan when she smelled something burning. She quickly stood up and ran into the kitchen. She gaped when she saw the complete mess._

_The kitchen looked like ten hurricanes hit it. Pots and pans were scattered on the floor, there were dirty dishes all over the countertops and there were strange spills of Lord-knows-what everywhere. And in the middle of all the chaos was Nathan, grinning sheepishly as he held a frying pan in one hand and a spatula in the other._

"_Nathan! What the hell happened?!" Haley demanded._

"_I was cooking,"_

"_Cooking? It's like you're redecorating the kitchen!" She cried._

"_Hey, I was going to give you breakfast in bed!" He protested._

_Haley tried to ignore the giddy sensation swooping "Yeah, and poison me in the process. Look at this mess, Nathan!"_

"_A simple 'thank you' would suffice." Nathan said coolly._

_Haley laughed. "I didn't know you knew what 'suffice' meant. But that does not excuse the mess you made. This is going to take ages to clean!"_

"_Hey, you should really be thanking me because I woke up way too early to cook you breakfast, and I never do that for anyone." He said rather sullenly._

_She smiled. "I'd thank you if you clean this up."_

"_You're not going to help me?"_

"_No."_

"_Haleeeeey –" Nathan whined as he strode over to her, but suddenly, he slipped on one of the spills. He flailed his arms in the air, trying to reach for anything to hold onto, and instead, grabbed Haley's wrist, making her fall down with him._

"_Nathan!" Haley cried angrily, as she tried to wipe off the mess in her pajamas. "Look at me! I'm a mess!"_

"_If you ask me, I think you look more human." Nathan teased._

_She scowled and wiped her sticky fingers on his face. "So do you."_

_Instead of getting pissed off, he grinned and retaliated by smothering her face with a handful of the goop. She swore loudly as she tried to push him off her but he was too strong. He began to tickle her so that they were both lying in the middle of the dirty floor, giggling uncontrollably._

"_Nathan – stop – please – I can't – breathe –" Haley managed to squeak in between laughter._

"_Not until you appreciate what I did."_

"_I'd appreciate it more if you cleaned this up – hey!" She screamed harder as he began to tickle her some more. "Okay, okay, I appreciate it."_

"_You what?"_

"_Thank – you!" She choked._

"_I can't hear you, Haley. Louder," he ordered, laughing at the sight of her._

"_Thank you!" Haley yelled, relieved when he stopped._

_Nathan grabbed the nearest washcloth and wiped her face clean. "There, at least you'll be easier to kiss."_

"_I'll be easier to what?" Haley repeated, not entirely sure if she heard him right._

"_You heard what I said," he whispered as he leaned down to kiss her._

_She felt a pleasant shudder up her spine when his lips were merely inches away from hers. The anticipation was almost too much to bear as Haley grabbed on his collar to pull him closer to her._

_Suddenly, one of the pots on the stove began to emit thick clouds of smoke and immediately, the sprinklers went off. Haley was unable to hide a groan of disappointment._

_Nathan didn't miss it as he grinned down at her. "Sorry James, no kiss today. Gotta clean this up," he jumped up and ran to the basement to shut off the sprinklers. Haley was left in the kitchen, smiling to herself._

Since their "elevator incident," things have been going rather well. They still endlessly argued about the most random things and they bickered about every stupid thing every chance they got, but there was an obvious ease to it now.

Haley tried to ignore the strange feelings she was getting whenever Nathan was around, and she desperately tried to convince herself that it was nothing more than just hatred – like before.

_Hatred? Psssh. You're starting to like him now, admit it._ A voice in her head said.

Haley shook the thought out of her mind, and went to the kitchen, only to see Lucas cooking pancakes and wearing a ridiculous-looking pink, flowery apron.

"Good morning, Haley. Nice to see you up at this time of morning," he greeted.

"That's a very manly apron you got there, Luke." Haley observed, smiling.

He rolled his eyes at her. "A very wise decision, Haley – insult the guy handling your food."

Her smile widened. She had gotten closer with Lucas over the last few days and whenever Nathan was at basketball practice, she spent most of her time with his brother. "Mm – smells great. I'm glad to know you're a better cook than Nathan."

"I heard that," he interrupted, walking into the kitchen. He was wearing nothing more than a pair of jeans hastily buttoned. Haley tried her best not to stare at his muscular arms and ripped chest, so she pretended to be very interested with her fork.

Lucas grinned when he noticed her. "Hey Hales, do you mind getting us some orange juice from the fridge?"

"Love to," she muttered as she went to get the pitcher, her gaze fixated on the floor.

_Don't look at his chest. Don't think he's hot. Whatever you do – act like it's nothing._

But it wasn't "nothing" at all. In fact, it was the exact opposite of nothing. Haley was starting to feel lightheaded and the familiar tingling sensation was already racing down her spine.

Finally, she couldn't take it anymore and without lifting her head, she said, "I have to – bathroom – be right back –" She raced to the bathroom and splashed ice cold water in her face, trying to calm herself.

She was just sexually frustrated. That was it. She only had sex once. Nathan _wasn't_ turning her on. It was only sexual frustration – being in a room with two, very good-looking men.

Haley looked up to the mirror, only to see Nathan leaning casually against the doorframe. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she said softly.

"You sure?"

"I'm fine, Nathan. Leave me alone." She ordered him.

"I don't think I can do that."

And with one swift mood, Nathan wrapped her in his arms and pushed her against the door so it closed. Without hesitating, his mouth covered hers.

* * *

**I bet you're confused, especially after my author's note in the last chapter. ((evil laugh)) You'll just have to wait and see, won't you? Ar-en-ar!**


	11. I'm Here

**Hey guys! Thank you so much for all your amazing, wonderful and totally awesome reviews. Because of them, I'm updating again, and I hope this one compensates for the obvious lack of length of my last chapter. Also, for those who are waiting for my other story to be updated, it's coming soon – I promise.**

**If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to PM me.**

**Hugs and kisses to all!**

**----Sera**

**P.S. As you may have noticed, there have been a lot of flashbacks in the recent chapters. Just a quick warning; this one has flashbacks, too. I happen to be in a flashback-ish mood, so there. Oh, and you may like some parts – but you may also hate some parts, but really, it pained me to write the hated parts.**

**

* * *

****Disclaimer: **I don't own One Tree Hill and I never will. See, it's so true that it rhymed. 

Haley suddenly froze as her mind went blank. At first, she was so stunned that she didn't know where she was or what was happening. Then it hit her. Nathan Scott – _the _Nathan Scott – was actually kissing her. Her back was pressed against the door, pinned up by his body while he kissed her soundly.

If the elevator kiss had her dizzy and lightheaded – this had her in a way more ridiculous state. Her head was spinning and if she wasn't being supported by his weight, she would have collapsed by now. She couldn't feel her own legs – in fact, she couldn't feel anything but the sweet sensations coursing through her.

Then…

_It was nearing midnight and there was barely anyone in the streets, except for one car that just parked on the curb. Two figures emerged, holding hands and talking loud enough for the neighbors to hear them._

_It had been a wonderful day for Haley and Chris. Just like he had promised after another one of their fights, they would spend the entire day with each other and they did. They watched movies, drove around the city, and even went shopping. Haley was such in a good mood that they even went clubbing._

_Sure enough, a woman peeked from behind her curtain and glowered rather menacingly at them. Haley cringed, and pressed a finger to her boyfriend's lips. "Not so loud, Chris. I still haven't paid my rent to her yet."_

_She fumbled through her bag, searching for her keys. She looked over her shoulder at him. "You want to come inside and talk?"_

_Chris seemed to be deep in thought but after a few moments, he nodded._

_Haley motioned him to the couch and sat next to him. She cleared her throat and said, "Chris, I just – just want to say thanks – for today. I'm really – umph."_

_The rest of her words were drowned by Chris' lips crashing down onto hers. At first, Haley tried to resist, but she eventually gave in, parting her lips so he could slip in his tongue. Haley was soon lying flat on her back with Chris on top of her as they kissed. Things seemed to be going smoothly until she felt him grinding himself in places Haley just found disgusting._

'_No, tonight's a good night. Don't ruin it.' Haley thought, forcing herself to ignore his "minor relapse."_

_He tore his mouth away from hers and whispered breathlessly into her ear, "God, I want you so bad, Hales." Before she could do or say anything, his hand went up her shirt and began touching her. His other hand began to unzip her jeans. That was where she drew the line._

_With all her might, Haley pushed him off her. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"_

"_I'm going to have sex with you. Duh," he said, rolling his eyes. He reached out to her, but she stood up and stepped back a good two feet away from him._

"_We talked about this a hundred times, Chris. I'm not having sex with you."_

"_You're kidding me, right? I mean, you have got to be kidding me. We've been dating for almost two years now, Haley – and you still won't go to bed with me?! It's not like I have a deadly sexually-transmitted disease or something!" Chris shouted._

"_Look, I'm not ready! You may have lost your virginity easily and not cared about it, but I do. Say whatever you want to make me guilty, but nothing will change my mind. I'm not ready right now, and if you can't live with that, I suggest you leave." Haley said adamantly in an icy tone._

_Chris gazed at her a few seconds. "You're making the biggest mistake of your life."_

"_You're right. The mistake is you. Get out." Haley ordered, throwing the door open so he could leave. As soon as he was gone, she shut the door and sank on the floor. She wasn't ready. He should understand that. She wasn't going to give it up for just anyone._

_The scene changed, showing two figures stumbling down the hallway of Nathan Scott's enormous mansion. Nathan was carrying her while he hungrily kissed her neck. Haley moaned loudly, throwing her head back to give him more room. Her legs were wrapped around his waist and one arm around his neck. Her other hand was fumbling with the buttons of his polo._

_They went inside the bedroom, Nathan kicking the door close behind them. They both fell on the bed, still kissing each other. God, this was amazing. Haley had never felt this much want, desire and need in one night with one guy. Chris was nothing – _nothing_ – compared to Nathan._

_Nathan knew how to please – he knew which spots to kiss, which part of her body to touch and which to give special attention to. Haley ripped his shirt off while he threw her little black dress over her head. His dark eyes were blazing with desire as he stared at her body hungrily._

_He leaned down to give her a long, deep kiss, which she eagerly returned – stopping only for quick intakes of air. She ran her hand down his chest, lingering on his well-defined, ripped abs. He began to lay open-mouth kisses on her neck, trying to leave a mark._

_Haley writhed and moaned in his touch, her fingernails digging deep into his shoulder blades. "Oh my God, Nathan – yes – oh yes…"_

"_God, I want you so bad right now – you have no idea," he hissed into her ear. His teeth closed around her earlobe, making her whimper some more._

"_I want you, too – oh, God – I want you…" Haley murmured. "I want you now, Nathan. Show me everything."_

Haley's eyes flew open and she pushed Nathan off her before he could go any further. "Nathan, no – we can't."

"What? What do you mean we can't?" He asked, bewildered.

"We just can't, okay? I'm not ready – I barely even know you. I don't want what happened to us happen again. I'm sorry." Haley felt tears brimming in her eyes and without another word, she left.

* * *

It was around ten later that night when Nathan sleepily dragged himself out of bed to get a glass of water. He swore loudly when he walked into Haley seated on one of the chairs in front of the counter, her head buried in her hands.

"Well, hello to you, too." She curtly told him.

"Jesus, Haley – I didn't you'd still be awake at this time. I wasn't expecting – er, are you okay? You look like you've been crying." Nathan observed.

"No, I look like I'm desperately trying to fall asleep when I can't." Haley corrected him. That was a lie. She had been crying – and she didn't want him to know that.

He cleared his throat, trying to steer away from dangerous waters. Their little "incident" awhile ago was still imprinted on his mind – quite vividly, to be exact. "So – you wanna – uh, go to the living room and watch some TV?"

She shrugged and followed suit. Haley sat next to him, tucking her feet beneath her and making sure there was a good two-foot difference in between them. Nathan switched the television on, and E! News was on.

Ryan Seacrest's voice filled the spacious but dark living room as he announced, "Chris Keller, one of music's hottest new artists, has just announced the start date of his worldwide concert tour. The twenty-four-year-old singer was a guest last night on 'Larry King Live' when he talked about his rapidly-growing career, the price of fame and his highly-anticipated concert tour."

Haley stiffened and she sharply took in her breath. Nathan noticed and was eying her strangely. She didn't notice as she continued to stare at the fifty-inch plasma screen television in front of them.

"Chris was also spotted performing in many clubs and usually leaving arm-in-arm with a different girl every time. He was also reported to be seen making out with a few other hot, young celebrities, including 'Heroes' star, Hayden Penetierre. When asked about this rumor, he merely smiled and said, 'She's a friend. That's all I can say.'"

Haley felt her eyes starting to water as she furiously blinked them away. Nathan reached out and squeezed her arm in reassurance.

"When Larry commented about Chris having a 'playboy' image, he simply laughed it off and replied, 'Ask any single guy who has the opportunity to date a lot of women and they'll admit to doing so. It's what we do – and it's what I've always loved to do. I don't see myself stopping any time soon.' On the pressing issue if he'll ever settle down, he said, 'I don't know. So far, I'm pretty sure I haven't met the woman who'll make Chris Keller settle down. She's out there alright – she's not just one of the girls I've ever dated, and I'm pretty sure she'll never be one of them.'"

Unable to take it anymore, Haley burst into tears. Nathan immediately wrapped her arms around her and held her close, while she sobbed into his shoulder.

He gently stroked her hair and rocked her tiny body slowly. He felt his heart heaving with a mixture of pity and something else he couldn't quite recognize. As he comforted her, he tried to whisper the words he hoped she'd realize … "It's alright, Hales. Forget him ... I'm here … I'm here."

* * *

**There you guys go! This is another chapter where they start seeing each other in a new light, but in a more dramatic way. I hope you enjoyed that, and please review. They keep me going. Remember, the more reviews, the faster the updates. I have loads of other surprises coming up for you all.**


	12. First Love

**Hello, everyone! Thank you for your awesome reviews. It means so much that you gave me your thoughts. Please keep them coming, and I'll keep updating. I know that it seems like Haley isn't over Chris – but she really is. So I've made things more confusing just by saying that but just read this chapter. You'll understand.**

**As for my other story – my muse has somehow left me and I'm not sure when it's going to back. So for now, I am going to put that story on hold. But I still plan on finishing that story, just not right now.**

**Hugs and kisses to all …**

**----Sera**

**

* * *

****Disclaimer: **I don't own – so don't sue. That's basically it. 

The next morning had just been as awkward as the moments after Haley had been crying on Nathan's shoulder. When her tears had finally run out, she simply muttered a quick "thank you" and went to her bedroom. Today wasn't any different. When Nathan walked into the kitchen, he simply gave her an acknowledging nod and left for basketball practice.

Of course, the sweet, sensitive and caring Nathan Scott that she had seen last night was still imprinted in her memory. That was a side she thought she would never see – much less, know it exists. But God, did she love that side of him. They actually had a connection last night – a real one, and it shook her up.

He was always the arrogant one, the annoying, perverted one – the womanizing asshole. That was it. Haley didn't expect him to be so – different. And it drove her crazy. She kept reliving last night over and over in her head, and she couldn't stand how indifferent he was being. She expected him to be at least – well, nicer.

Haley was seated on the same couch last night, deep in her thoughts. Her eyes were fixed on the open television, but she was barely paying attention. The familiar face of her ex-boyfriend was flashing on the screen.

Haley grabbed a handful of popcorn and threw it across the room. "Screw you,"

"Screw me? Sure, why not?" A voice said behind her.

She turned to see Nathan standing behind her, his duffel bag slung over his shoulder – clearly just arriving from practice.

Haley raised a brow at him. "What are you doing home so early?"

"Basketball practice ended early, so I decided to come home," he threw himself on the couch. "Oh, look – it's your lame excuse of a boyfriend – _again_."

"_Ex_-boyfriend – and don't call him that." Haley snapped at him.

"No wonder you broke up with him – he looks like a dead fish in bed." Nathan remarked.

"How would I know? I never had sex with him – and he broke up with me because of it, the bastard." Haley said bitterly.

Nathan stared at her, his jaw dropped. "Oh damn Haley, I'm sorry – was that him? I completely forgot about –"

Haley waved her hand carelessly. "It doesn't even matter anymore."

She was silent for awhile, then she said softly, "Chris – he was my first and only boyfriend – n-not that I didn't have any offers, trust me – I did have a lot of them – but I loved him – I really, really did – I thought we were going to be married – we would go on tour together, meet new people, sell millions of albums …"

She felt Nathan's reassuring arm on her shoulder, giving her the cue to continue.

"But things weren't always perfect for us – they were far from perfect. There were times we would argue endlessly about him flirting with other girls even if I was around – me not having sex with him – that sort of thing. Then …"

"You met me." Nathan said quietly.

She nodded. "My friends dragged me to this club – they said it would make me feel better if I went – so I did … and well, you know what happened next. I debated whether I should keep it a secret from Chris. I mean, how would he know that I slept with you? There was no way he could find out. But I told him, anyway. I thought he would understand. I was very wrong."

She stared at the television screen for a few moments. "It's not like I still love him, you know. But he was my first love – I thought we would have a family together someday, all that crap. But when I heard him say those things last night – it's just hard to let go, you know?"

"I know …" He murmured, as memories of his past began to flood his mind.

_They were by the river side, holding hands and talking. He smiled at her for the hundredth time, admiring how beautiful she was – how her long, deep russet hair fell past her shoulders, how a small dimple appeared whenever she smiled, how her brilliant green eyes sparkled whenever she was happy._

"_You're staring at me again." She told him._

_Nathan grinned sheepishly. "I'm sorry – I can't help it."_

"_You, my love, are starting to creep me out," she laughed at the crestfallen look on his face. "But I love you, anyway."_

_He laughed, as he pulled closer. "I love you, too," he placed a hand on her stomach, feeling the small bump. "As much I love my son."_

"_How sure are you that our child is going to be a boy?" She asked him indignantly. "For all you know, she's a girl."_

_He grinned again. "He's a boy. I can feel it."_

Nathan snapped out of his reverie. His once-concerned face was now hard and unreadable. "I'm sorry that had to happen to you, Haley. I – I know how it feels." He said rather stiffly.

She shook her head sadly. "It – it doesn't matter anymore. It's been how many years – and it's stupid for me to keep holding on to grudges like this."

He nodded, not saying anything.

Haley looked up at him, a small smile on her face. "Now, enough of this crap. Let's go have some fun."

* * *

**So I was rereading my story, and I decided the drama should stop for awhile. This **_**is**_** a humor fic, after all – and I intend to make it so. Oh, and I'm sorry agian for the obvious lack of length. So anyway, please review and the next chapter will be up in five days or so. I promise you, you won't be disappointed. PLEASE REVIEW!**


	13. Paranoia Turns Me On

**Wow, your reviews are just so overwhelmingly amazing. I love them all. I'm so sorry for the delay. Second semester in our university just started, and well – I really need to work harder this time, so yeah, that explains why it took so long to update.**

**Oh, and just so we're all clear, I am not, in any way whatsoever, losing interest in this story. I love writing it and reading all your feedback, it's just that reality keeps getting in the way, and well – you know how it is.**

**Anyway, enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

**Love y'all …**

**----Sera**

**

* * *

****Disclaimer: **I do not own One Tree Hill and I never, ever will. Hear that, lawyers? 

Nathan stood at the foot of the stairs, checking his wrist watch for about the twentieth time. "Haley! What the hell is taking you so long?"

"I'll be down in a minute – and the more you nag me, the more this'll take awhile, so stop!" Haley shouted back from the bedroom.

Nathan rolled his eyes impatiently as he heard her running around the second floor of his gigantic mansion. He tapped his foot on the marble floor, letting out a frustrated sigh. "I've been standing here and ready for an hour and a half – how long is it to get dressed?" He complained to himself.

"Nathan! Have you seen my Jimmy Choo's?" She yelled at him.

"Is he a guy I should know about?" He yelled back.

"Whoever 'guy' that is in my life is none of your business – and even there is one, what would he be doing here?" She shouted. He heard the sounds of a shoe rack falling on the floor until she shouted a triumphant, "Ah-ha, I found it!"

"Great! Now we can finally leave –" Nathan proceeded to get out of the house when he realized that Haley was nowhere near leaving just yet. He began to pace the floor in annoyance. "Damn it, Haley! I know it is especially hard for someone who looks like you to look halfway decent to pass as a human being but an hour and half is a bit too much and –"

"Oh, shut up. I'm ready."

Nathan spun around to see her standing on the fifth stair, and his jaw dropped. She was wearing a pale gold dress that hugged her figure perfectly, dipping low enough just to show enough cleavage without looking skanky, and short enough to flaunt her legs without showing too much. She was wearing a pair of strappy sandals that gave her a good two-inch-taller height, only accentuating her long legs. Her long blond hair was curled but tied in a simple ponytail to the side.

Haley was looking at him, biting her lower lip nervously. "Is it – er, too much?"

Somehow, in his state of stupor, Nathan managed to slowly shake his head. He was still staring at her. "You – you look – _wow_, Hales –"

She blushed slightly. "Er – thanks … I wasn't sure if, you know – this would work – I mean, I rarely wear something like this – and Brooke only helped me pick this out – she practically forced me to buy it, which is what she always does – and …"

"You're rambling again, Haley."

She looked up at him, as he flashed her a sincere smile. "You look great, Haley. I mean it."

"Thanks – we better get going, if – well, you know – we could get reservations."

"I'm Nathan Scott – I don't _need_ reservations."

Haley was surprised to find herself laughing instead of throwing him her usual glare whenever he was being cocky. However, she felt his smoldering gaze follow her as she walked towards the front door. "And stop staring at my ass,"

With a laugh, he followed suit.

* * *

"So tell me, where exactly are we going?" She asked him as they drove down the streets of Los Angeles. They had taken the sleek, black Sedan that Nathan barely used, which made the possibilities of photographers following them around highly unlikely.

"Oh, it's this great place Luke and I discovered years ago. The food is really good and it's really low-key, so there wouldn't be any paparazzi hiding behind flower pots and waiters." Nathan answered.

They finally arrived at a quaint café on top of a hill, overlooking a spectacular view of the glittering city at night. A rather-heavyset woman met them at the entrance, smiling warmly. "Mr. Scott! It's nice to see you again."

"It's good to see you too, Ellen. How are the kids?"

"John is entering the fifth grade and Lisa is entering the third. By the way, thank you so much for those courtside seats to your last game. You made John's birthday unforgettable." The woman named Ellen said, beaming.

Nathan waved his hand carelessly. "I could get him access to the locker rooms if he wanted. Take good care of them, Ellen," he smiled at her and lead Haley to the balcony of the restaurant.

As soon as they sat down, he noticed Haley's puzzled look. "Ellen is the owner of this restaurant. She helped Luke and me out of a few tight spots a long time ago when we were just starting our careers. I owe her everything I have now, so I give gifts to her family every now and then."

She was looking at him strangely, but she chose to look at the view instead. "It's beautiful here."

"Yeah, it is. And it's great to get out of the house without being hounded by the press, you know?"

Haley nodded. "I'm sorry – it's my job to scrutinize your every move. I always knew how it makes your life more complicated than it already is – but I had no idea it was this difficult to deal with."

"Hey, don't be sorry. If it wasn't your job, you wouldn't have met me, and imagine what a big loss that would've been." He said, grinning at her.

She playfully swatted his arm in reply.

A waitress approached them. "Hi, can I get you guys anything?"

They made their orders, and as soon as the waitress left, Nathan spoke up. "Have you figured out what to write in that article yet?"

"It's only been a week and a couple days. I mean, there's not much to write yet – maybe except for the fact that you can't cook and you're a downright slob." Haley teased.

Before he could reply, out of Haley's eye, she spotted a familiar face seated on a table a few feet away from them, although the person was partly hidden by a rather large, leafy plant. "Is – is that –" She narrowed her eyes, trying to scrutinize who it was. "It's Brooke! And she's with someone – but I can't see who it is –" She craned her neck and her jaw nearly dropped. "She's with Lucas!"

"Great! We can invite them to join us –" Nathan began to stand to call them, but Haley pulled him down.

"_Don't_!"

"What's the big deal?" He asked her, confused.

"What are they doing together?" She wondered.

"Uh – eating…? You know, for someone who's supposedly 'intelligent,' you're sure not acting like it." He remarked.

"I know that, but why together?"

"Didn't you hear them before? They _like_ each other, so they're bound to go on a date sometime."

"Yes, but Brooke didn't even tell me! She always tells me everything – why would she not tell me this time?"

"Maybe it just slipped her mind – _ow_!" Haley had dragged him behind the potted plant as she peered at them.

"Er – I know that this is part of your job and all, but why are we hiding behind a plant?" Nathan asked her awkwardly.

Brooke and Lucas stood up to leave. "C'mon, we have to follow them!"

"But we haven't eaten yet!" Nathan whined.

"So leave the money on the table then – c'mon, they're getting in the car!" She snapped at him. As soon as he left the money on the table, she pulled his arm and led him to their car.

"Okay, why do we need to follow them?" He asked her.

"Look, as much as I like Lucas – I don't trust him." Haley explained.

"Why not?"

"He's your brother."

"Oh." He paused, then indignantly retorted, "_Hey_!"

"All I'm saying is that Brooke has had her heart broken one too many times, and I just want to see how Lucas will treat her tonight." Haley said.

"No wonder Brooke didn't tell you she was going on a date with Luke. You're paranoid." Nathan snorted.

They finally arrived in front of a filled-to-the-rim club and followed Brooke and Lucas, a good few feet away from them. They went to the middle of the dance floor and began to dance.

Haley yanked Nathan to the dance floor and as if on cue, the music suddenly became slow. She watched as Lucas wrapped his arms around her best friend, and she suddenly felt Nathan's arms encircling her waist and her breathing became shallow.

"What are you doing?"

"Could we try to do something _I _want to do?" He whispered huskily into her ear. Then very lightly, he trailed his lips from her ear down to her neck. Haley couldn't suppress a moan as delicious shivers raced up and down her spine. When Nathan's lips reached the base of her neck, he opened his mouth and let his tongue lave her bare skin, and he instantly hardened – making her moan once more.

This time, Haley let out a breathy "Nathan..." and pressed herself closer to him. She closed her eyes, savoring the sensations coursing through her. He began to nibble his way back up her neck, and Haley could've sworn her heart stopped when his hand was slipping up her thigh and pulling her flat against his body.

"God, Hales – you taste so good…" He groaned into her ear, as he took her earlobe between his teeth. She felt her knees give way, and he pulled her even closer to him. She felt his fingers toying with the lace of her underwear, and it was as if the room was spinning.

Haley tried to bring herself back to reality, but his touch was addicting and incredibly difficult to ignore. _Focus, Haley. You're here to watch out for Brooke._ She turned her head to see what they were doing.

Lucas was kissing Brooke.

And just before Haley could react, Nathan turned her head to face him and kissed her as well.

**

* * *

****There you guys go! I hope the length and hot action would make up for the other chapters. Please review … )**


	14. Good Enough

**Tee hee! I'm so glad you guys liked that last chapter, especially with the mini-smut at the end. Just so you guys know, I'm changing the rating to "M" now … for good reason that will be coming up eventually. Thank you for the reviews! I really loved them. Keep 'em coming!**

**Love y'all …**

**----Sera**

**

* * *

****Disclaimer: **I don't own One Tree Hill. I am just playing with the utterly amazing characters. 

It was like a dream – a completely wonderful and surreal dream. Nathan was kissing her soundly, cupping the side of her face. He began to play with her lips, nipping and biting but trying as hard as he can to not kiss her deeply. A deep moan emitted from Haley's throat as she ran her fingers through his hair, trying to coax him to deepen the kiss.

He smiled slyly against her lips and the moment his tongue touched her lips, her lips parted for him and she quickly let him with mindless desperation. Nathan let out a guttural groan, feeling dizzy when his tongue came in contact with hers. They battled for dominion, each wet kiss getting even hotter by the second. It was as if oxygen was the last thing on their minds. All they wanted was to taste each other, and with each thrust of his tongue into her mouth, he simply couldn't get enough and wanted more.

Nathan had never felt so turned on in his life and if they didn't go any further, he would explode with want. Haley pulled away, panting feverishly but she began to plant wet, hot kisses to his jawline and moving lower. She could feel him getting even tighter against her groan, while his hand stroked her thigh, pulling her closer to him so he smelled her scent of lavender. He spun her around so her back was pressed against his. She tilted her head back to give him room to nibble on her neck. One hand was intertwined with her hers while the other was slowly creeping upward.

"Oh, my God …" She hissed when his hand brushed lightly over her breast, but still paying attention to her neck. Without even knowing it, Haley arched her ass against his groin, making him even harder than he already thought was impossible.

"Goddamn it Haley – I want you so bad right now –"

_They were panting heavily as they stumbled into the bedroom. Nathan's fingers were running carelessly through her thick, auburn hair as he kissed her as if it was the last day on Earth. "I want you so bad right now –" He hissed._

_She smiled at him, her green eyes sparkling. "Then give it to me."_

"No!" He shouted, quickly pushing her away.

At first, Haley looked positively stunned. Her cheeks were flushed and her fingers reached up to touch her kiss-swollen lips. God, she was beautiful – but she wasn't – she wasn't _her_. Nathan could've sworn he felt his heart break when her chocolate-brown eyes were suddenly wet with tears. "Haley – I'm sorry – I just – we can't …"

Her chest was rising up and down as she tried to regain composure. "I need some air."

Nathan quickly grabbed her wrist. "Hales – I'm sorry –"

"No – no … You're right. We shouldn't have – it was – out of line." And without another word, Haley ran out to the parking lot. She reached the far end where it was completely dark and deserted as she sank to the ground, her breath coming in quick, deep pants.

She felt someone grasp her shoulder. "Haley, let me explain."

Haley stood up, turning to face him. He looked just as disheveled and frustrated as she was. "You're right. That _was_ way out of line. We shouldn't have made out like that – hell, we were practically having sex there. It was stupid and wrong, I mean – who knows who could've seen us. It's not good – especially because it's my job to make you look better."

"Haley – it's not that. I really want you but -"

She raised a hand to silence him. "I don't even need to hear it. Let's just forget this ever happened. C'mon, let's go home."

They both walked back to the car, immersed in their own thoughts and completely forgetting about Lucas and Brooke. Instead, one word haunted their minds even as they went to bed that night;

_Why?_

* * *

The early morning air was supposed to do her good – but all Haley could think about was their kiss last night in the club. It couldn't even be considered a kiss because it was way more than hot, intense passion. Haley had felt a strange, completely unfamiliar connection with Nathan that she hadn't felt with Chris. It was like – everything seemed okay, like in that one moment, she felt safe – happy – perfect. As if kissing him was the most natural thing to do in the world.

_Get a grip on yourself. So you were turned out. It's not like you're falling for him or anything._ Haley told herself sternly, as she impatiently brushed a stray strand of hair away from her face.

She glanced at herself in the rearview mirror and she immediately noticed the pink love bites Nathan had given her at the side of her neck. Haley parked her car on the nearby sidewalk and quickly covered it up with concealer. If Brooke or Peyton saw it, she would never hear the end of it.

Haley's gaze went to her watch. It was only eight in the morning, but she wanted to leave as early as possible, to avoid even more awkward silences with Nathan. She had left him breakfast on the table and a note saying she'd be back later in the afternoon.

She stepped out of the car and walked to Brooke's apartment, hoping to get some answers about last night. She smiled briefly at the doorman, standing at the entrance of the building and took the elevator to the topmost floor.

Haley knocked on the door, and waited for an answer.

"Who is it?" A voice asked.

"Peyton? It's me, Haley."

The door quickly opened and Haley was immediately enveloped in a hug. "Wow, when you say you're early, you mean it." Peyton remarked.

Haley scrutinized her best friend. Her golden curls framed her round face, and she had gained a little weight. Despite the loose top, a baby bump was evident but she looked as beautiful as ever.

"You look amazing, Peyt."

"If that's a nice way to say I'm fat – thank you." She replied cheerfully, and led her down the hall and to the living room, where Brooke was on the phone with someone, practically screaming as she paced the room.

"Well – another Nazi rampage … Have fun." Peyton said in a bored voice as she sat on the couch, as she lazily leafed through the glossy pages of a magazine she found on the coffee table. Haley eyed her other best friend rather warily.

"Look – the client clearly stated that she wanted the dress today at 3 PM! What do you mean it's my fault? What do you mean I didn't tell you to deliver it yesterday? I told you that weeks ago! It's not my fault you don't know how to use a damn calendar! Don't give me that crap! Rihanna clearly said that she wants the dress today – do it or you're fired!" Brooke shouted. She furiously closed her flip phone and threw herself on the couch, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like, "Fucking amateurs."

When Haley figured it was safe to speak, she remarked, "Maybe you wouldn't have forgotten to remind him if you hadn't been on a date with Lucas Scott last night."

"He's an idiot for not remembering the deadline – it's his job after all and –" Brooke looked up, a suspicious and curious look on her face. "How do you know that I went on a date with Lucas?"

Haley instantly remembered what happened between her and Nathan, and she quickly said, "That doesn't matter, Brookie. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Or me," added Peyton.

She sighed, shifting her position so she sat on the couch with her knees pressed against her chest. "I'm sorry, you guys – I just wasn't sure you'd approve. I mean, you know about all the crappy relationships I've had to deal with –"

"If you call hook-ups 'relationships,' then yes," said Peyton.

Brooke cast her friend a glare. "Not helping, Goldilocks –" But she smiled slightly all the same. "Anyway, you know what I mean. It's just that you two have always been there and being so patient with me. You helped me pick up all the pieces, and I didn't want you to go through all of that again."

Peyton and Haley stood up to hug her. "God, Brookie – that's what we're here for – to pick you up when some asshole breaks your heart."

Brooke smiled. "I love you, guys. You're the best."

"Of course we are. And besides, who will be there to judge if the guy is good enough for you, if not us?" Peyton asked her.

She laughed, glancing at Haley. "Well? Is Lucas good enough for me?"

Haley smiled back. "He is – quite more than enough."

_The problem is – is Nathan good enough, too?_

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Please review … and I'll update as soon as possible. Perhaps with more Naley-ness and even a tad bit smut? grins**


	15. My Feelings Are Confusing Me

**Hey there, guys! Thank you for your heartwarming and inspiring reviews. It means so much that you enjoy reading my story. Now, a lot of you have been wondering why Nathan stopped their hot kiss, and why he's still hung up on his mystery girl. You'll find out soon enough who she is and why he still can't get over her.**

**By the way you guys, from now on, I'll be updating once a week, except for the times when university work is not taking its toll once again. I'm sorry if you have to wait seven days for the next chapter, but it ensures that it's nice and long, and full of Naley-ness. So keep those reviews coming. They do wonders for my inspiration and updating.**

**----Sera**

**

* * *

****Disclaimer: **I own nothing but this story, which I happen to love. 

Nathan awoke to hear his cell phone, which was lying on his bedside table, ringing loudly. He groaned and tried to crawl under the covers, pretending he could hear nothing. Finally, the ringing stopped and he let out a sigh of relief. He was just about to get his sleep when the phone began to ring again, this time seemingly louder than the last.

Frustrated, Nathan forced himself to answer it. "Listen you – whoever you are – do you have any idea what time it is right now?"

"Actually, yeah – it's almost ten in the morning." Lucas' voice said coolly.

Nathan frowned, glancing at the clock next to the lamp on the bedside table. He wasn't surprised at all. He had a hard time getting his sleep last night, mostly because the earth-shattering kiss he shared with Haley was still firmly imprinted in his mind – and he couldn't shake away the guilt that he felt. It was like he was cheating on _her_ – cheating on the love of his life with Haley, the woman he was starting to fall for.

_Whoa, hold on Nate – what do you mean "fall for?" You are not falling for that stuck-up, obsessive-compulsive and annoying woman who never knows how to have fun – and yet … she has the most innocent and vulnerable eyes, the cutest pout when she's upset and the most beautiful smile – especially when it's directed at me –_ _what the hell are you thinking?!_

"Hello, Nate – you still there?" Lucas' voice asked.

Nathan mentally slapped himself. "Yeah – uh, sorry. I'm still a bit sleepy. So, why'd you call?"

"I have a couple of interesting ideas so you could improve your image."

The sleep was suddenly gone. "Hey, hey, hey – hold on there, Luke. Isn't Haley in charge of that?"

"She should be – instead, she's too busy being seduced by you."

Silence.

"I saw you in the club last night, Nathan. You're lucky no one saw you."

There was more silence – but guilty this time. Finally, Nathan managed to speak up. "Lucas – I'm sorry – it was my fault – she –"

"Haley reminds you of _her_, doesn't she?" It wasn't a question. It was a fact. Lucas could practically hear his brother nod on the other line.

"They're just – so alike, you know? Haley is exactly like her – they're both so funny, and real, and great listeners – easy to talk to – sweet, sensitive, caring –"

"Don't you think that the only reason you like Haley is because she reminds you of Kiley?" Lucas interrupted.

Nathan cleared his throat loudly, but he couldn't speak. He could feel hot tears starting to fill his eyes. He blinked several times in frustration. _I will not be a girly-girl over this. _"I – I don't know. Haley reminds me a lot of Kiley, and it's not just because their names rhyme. They both treated me like a normal person. To everyone else in the world, I'm Nathan Royal Scott – the NBA bad boy, the notorious womanizer, the arrogant superstar, the tabloid magnet. To Haley and Kiley, I'm just me. Nathan. I'm not treated any differently and I'm not seen as a famous person."

"Correction, Nathan. It's just _Haley_ now. There's no Kiley in the picture, and there never will be," Lucas paused for a moment and sighed. Then he spoke up, his tone gentler this time. "I'm sorry, Nate. I know that Haley is pretty hot and she's an amazing person, but you can't toy with her feelings that way. How would she react if she found out that she's just a cover-up for someone from your past?"

"Haley is _not_ a cover-up. I really like her, Luke. She makes me want to be me, you know? Not the asshole, or the man-whore or the drunkard. Just me, average Nathan Scott who loves basketball and appreciates a nice talk with a pretty girl more than a good lay…" Nathan fell silent. "I haven't felt this way for a girl since Kiley. And that was years ago."

"Do you think she likes you?"

"I don't know. Maybe I'm still the bastard who took away her virginity – or maybe I could be the man she's starting to fall for, too."

Lucas' jaw dropped. "Are you serious, Nate? Are you really falling for her? It's only been a week and a couple of days."

"Maybe – it's a totally different feeling, man. I know we're supposed to be professional and all, but I can't help but open up to her. Maybe it's because I still miss Kiley. Maybe it's because I'm just being a horny bastard. But the thing is – it's more than just a good lay." Nathan said.

There was the superstar now. Everyone thought they knew him, but here he was, half-naked on his bed, having a serious confessional with his brother about the woman he could possibly love. It was insane. He hardly knew her, and yet – it was so different with her. Completely and utterly different.

"Don't break her heart, Nate."

"I don't plan on it, Luke."

* * *

Haley arrived home later that afternoon, exhausted. Brooke had dragged a very reluctant Peyton and Haley to the mall, and they hounded every store, nagging every salesclerk until they went insane with the orders Brooke threw right and left. She threw her keys on the nearest coffee table, and hung her jacket.

"Nathan? I'm home!" She called. She frowned in confusion when there was no answer. Nathan was supposed to be home right now.

Haley went down the basement, hoping to get started with the laundry when she saw Nathan standing over the washing machine, a basket of her very sexy underwear in front of him. She was so shocked that she simply watched him toy with her lingerie, as if he was a hormonally-imbalanced teenager.

When she finally gathered her voice, she shrieked, "What the hell do you think you're doing fondling my underwear like some pervert?!"

Nathan looked up, a brow raised casually. "Hey, I'm doing the laundry. I was just thinking that since you do most of the cooking and the cleaning, I could do my own share. I actually considered raking the lawn, but we have a hired gardener for that. So I decided to do the laundry." A sly smile spread on his face. "Never thought it would have such _benefits_,"

"Nathan – I can do my own laundry – you don't have to –"

"Hey, hey – this is a partnership, and I intend to do my bit, whatever it may be," Nathan picked up one of Haley's bras, which was light pink. He checked the tag thoughtfully. "Why is it called '_carnation_'? Why can't they just say '_pink_' instead?"

"Nathan!" Haley screamed, lunging after the basket of her underwear.

He quickly grabbed a lacy, yellow one and waved it high in the air, and well out of her reach. He checked the tag again. "This one is called _daffodil_. Why can't they just say _yellow_? It's a lot easier to spell."

"Nathan – will you please stop?!" Haley shouted, jumping up to grab it from him, but he was too quick for her. She was getting tired.

"You know, I've been doing the laundry for a while now but I still don't know your bra size. Why don't we take a look –" He winced when Haley practically shrieked into his ear, but he ignored her. "34B ... that's not very big, is it? But I suppose there's a good reason why. If it got any bigger, you would fall flat on your face, and we wouldn't want that to happen now, would we?"

All of a sudden, Nathan dropped the bra and wrapped his arms around her small waist so his nose nuzzled the crook of her neck. Haley stilled, and she instantly felt dizzy. Nathan gently raised his hand to cup one breast. "Just as I thought – a perfect 34B," he whispered huskily into her ear.

Haley could feel the heat coming from his palm as he gently massaged her breast, and she couldn't help but moan, as she bit her lower lip and arching her back against his. "N-Nathan …"

"I want to touch you, Haley. I've been wanting to touch you since the morning I saw you dancing and singing in the kitchen." He whispered.

"Yes, Nathan – please," she begged, nodding.

He slipped his other hand beneath her top and unhooked her bra, making her spill into his hand. Their skin sizzled and sparked at first touch, and Haley felt weak in the knees as he gently kneaded her breast, and lightly stroking her nipple until she was whimpering for more.

Nathan began to lay open-mouthed kisses on the side of her neck and at the base of her throat, earning a groan from deep in his throat. God, she tasted amazing. She _was_ amazing. "Haley – God, Haley – you're so –" Words failed him, and all he could think about was kissing her, touching her, tasting her.

He was just about to spin her around so he could kiss her but suddenly, Haley's cell phone began to ring. They instantly sprang apart. For awhile, they stared at each other, disoriented but very much turned on. Nathan knew that she had a clear view of his hard on but he didn't care. He wanted her to see just how much he wanted her.

"Answer the phone," he said brusquely.

Haley nodded, too nervous to say anything to him. She turned away and shakily said, "Hello? Haley James speaking. Oh, Mr. Turner – yes, I – I heard. The interview? Oh, it's going well – really well. It couldn't be any better. Am I alone? No, Nathan's here with me. Oh – right. Okay," she turned to Nathan. "I have to take this elsewhere. I'll – I'll be awhile."

And with that, she was gone, leaving him very confused, frustrated – and very turned on.

* * *

**Okay, so you guys now know that Nathan's mystery girl is not Rachel, but a woman named Kiley. You'll know more about her later. If you guys are confused, and if you have any questions, feel free to PM me, and I'll gladly answer them. Please review, I beg of you.**


	16. My Walls Start Crumbling

**Wow, I was so blown away by your reviews. You guys are seriously the best readers ever, and no one else could say nicer and better things to motivate an aspiring writer to update. I'm so glad you guys are liking the story so far, because I have a lot of surprises in store for you.**

**Now, there were some people who were asking me if I could ever update my other story, and I'm very sad to say that I might not (emphasis on the **_**might**_**). I'm so sorry, but my muse has left me for some reason, and I can't seem to form a coherent sentence with a subject and a verb without me deleting it. Don't lose hope though, because I may update when my muse suddenly returns.**

**I'm sorry I can't reply to some of your questions and requests, but school has been very hectic, and I'm simply squeezing this in with all the work I've been doing. I know that waiting an entire week for an update is way too long, but think of it as waiting for the next episode of One Tree Hill (God, what I'd **_**do**_** if I had that job). Alright, I'm stopping my rambles now.**

**Enjoy this chapter!**

**----Sera**

**

* * *

****Disclaimer: **One Tree Hill is not mine. That's not too hard to understand, is it? 

Haley dragged herself sleepily into the kitchen the next morning, yawning loudly. It was still quite early, and she suspected that Nathan was still asleep, but just to be on the safe side, she threw on a robe over her small tank top and short shorts. Their little make-out session in the laundry room was still imprinted on her mind – quite vividly that she blushed just thinking about it.

Without opening her eyes fully, she grabbed a mug from the shelf and lifted the coffee maker to fill it with water, only to be surprised that it was already full and running with coffee. Haley frowned, trying to remember if she had seen Nathan preparing coffee last night. Shrugging, she poured herself a cup. "I better be alive after I drink this," she muttered, poised to take a sip.

"Really – you do know how to deflate a man's ego, Haley." A voice said behind her.

Haley screamed, nearly dropping the mug. She spun around to see a beaming Lucas standing in front of her. "Jesus, Luke – you scared me half to death. What are you doing here?"

"I came over to run a few things with Nathan – didn't he tell you?"

"No – it must've slipped his mind."

_Or he was too busy looking through my underwear._ Haley thought, and once again, she felt a blush creeping up her cheeks. She turned around so Lucas wouldn't see. "So did you make the coffee?"

"Yeah, and you still haven't thanked me." Lucas said.

"I haven't tasted it yet," she took a tentative sip, and turned to him, a small smile on her face. "Impressive – but I've had better." She laughed at how his face went from pleased to just plain insulted within ten seconds.

He sat on one of the chairs facing the kitchen counter, motioning for her to join him. She took a seat next to him, coffee cup in one hand. "There is one thing missing though,"

"What?"

"That cute, flowery pink apron you were wearing the last time you were here. It just pulls off the motherly look all together." Haley teased.

Lucas groaned. "You're lucky I like you, Haley."

She grinned, as she took another long gulp. She loved talking to Lucas. He wasn't only fun to rile up, but he was a good person to talk to, like a brother she never had. He was always the responsible brother, and it must've been difficult for him to be always compared to Nathan, who seemed to outshine him sometimes, but he never showed it. "I like you too, Luke."

"So how has it been – living with the 'O Great One'? You sure you're still sane?" He asked her.

"It's fine – believe it or not, it's alright. He may have his issues, but he's a pretty a decent guy." Haley said, trying to sound as casual as possible. The truth was, she was getting dangerously attached to Nathan. He was all she could think about – his amazing dark blue eyes, that playful and cocky trademark smirk of his, that incredibly hot body - but it wasn't entirely physical.

Haley had come into his house, fully intent on being strictly professional – but it was too hard. It was bad enough that she had more than an interesting past with him, which would most probably give the press a field day but there was a connection between them that she couldn't explain. She got this weird, giddy feeling at the pit of her stomach whenever she looked into his eyes, and it would be even giddier if he smiled.

Nathan Scott had a deadly effect on her – and it was slowly breaking the barrier she previously held up between them. Did she want that barrier broken? She wasn't sure. She wanted him – as painful as it was to admit – but he had this odd look in his eyes when he pushed her away in the club … and the intensity in his eyes was gone. It was just guilt – and something else, something entirely different that Haley couldn't explain. Even up to know, it still plagued Haley's mind as she wondered what – or _who_ it was that made Nathan stop.

"Have you thought about what to write in that article yet?" Lucas asked her.

Haley nodded. "I have a pretty general idea about it. I still have a month and a half to work on it, but it's going well."

"And how are things – between – uh, the both of you?"

She could sense the tension in Lucas' voice, which meant only one thing; _he knew._ "Luke, I –"

"Haley, your choices aren't my business and I don't dictate what you do, but you have to know that Nathan has a past – which is the reason of what he is now with women. I don't want to see you get hurt…" His voice was gentle. "I'm not saying that my brother is a bad guy – he's not. But you of all people should know that he could hurt you."

Haley nodded numbly. "I know, Luke. Thank you."

She reached over and gave him a hug, glad to know that Lucas understand – but even more glad that he was a friend.

* * *

Haley knocked discreetly at Nathan's bedroom door. "Nate, are you ready to go? They're waiting."

"I'll be out in a sec, Hales –" A few seconds later, the door opened, revealing Nathan wearing a white Sean John shirt and jeans, with his signature basketball shoes. His hair was a newly-shaved buzz cut and he smelled strongly of aftershave, soap and coffee. It was an addicting scent, and Haley couldn't help but gape at him.

He smirked at her. "The bedroom's right behind me, you know."

She playfully swatted his arm. "You're like a girl – honestly, you take way too long getting ready."

"Had to make sure I impress the ladies," he grinned at her. "And I can tell you're impressed."

"Get your ass downstairs. Luke is waiting, and he is not pleased."

"He's never pleased,"

Haley laughed as she followed Nathan down the stairs.

When they reached the driveway, Lucas was waiting impatiently in the driver's seat, looking very annoyed. "It took you two long enough."

"Sorry Luke, I tried to get down here on time but I had to wait for Haley. You know women." Nathan said breezily.

Haley let out a gasp and punched his shoulder. "Excuse me, you were the one who took practically an hour in the shower awhile ago."

"I had to – long, cold showers are required whenever you're around." Nathan whispered huskily in her ear, and she felt a pleasant chill race down her spine and spilling into her center. She cleared her throat loudly and got into the backseat while Nathan sat in front.

Immediately after taking a seat, Nathan switched the music player on and loud, angry rap music began to fill the vehicle.

"Oh God, not again," groaned Haley, rolling her eyes.

"My car, my music," grinned Nathan triumphantly.

"_Luuuuucas!_" Haley whined, pleading for defense.

"Sorry, Hales – it _is_ his car," Lucas apologized sheepishly. "We both have to suffer this crap for at least half an hour."

"What is it with men and car rules?" She complained, throwing her hands in the air in defeat. "Fine, I'll just pretend I actually enjoy it."

"So where exactly are we going?" Nathan asked eagerly.

"Well, Lucas and I had a great idea to boost up your image, and we're going to go do that right now." Haley explained.

"It's not going to be boring, is it?" He asked hopefully.

She laughed at the almost-childlike way he asked her. "You'll see."

Lucas' eyes darted between his brother and his newfound friend, sensing the chemistry between them as they casually flirted with each other. He noticed how Nathan's eyes lit up and he was smiling happily. He had never seen his brother that way in years – not since Kiley.

As he gazed at Haley's lingering smile as she fell silent, he knew that her protective wall was crumbling once more.

* * *

**Reviews would be awesome.**


	17. Stolen Glances

**I loved the reviews for that last chapter and that little experimental one-shot I posted. Since the feedback and the response for that one-shot was so awesome, I decided to post a nice, fluffy NH one-shot every now and then.**

**Once again, this chapter is dedicated to my guy, Simon, who has stuck by me through every wild and sudden mood swing I've been having lately with no complaint (okay, maybe a little – but he still stuck by me). I love him to death. This chapter is also dedicated to you guys, 'coz you all are amazing.**

**I think you guys are going to like this chapter. It's not only full of NH, but you get to take a deeper look into Nathan's oh-so mysterious past. So please review!**

**----Sera**

**

* * *

****Disclaimer: **I own One Tree Hill – and I also Fort Knox, the Pentagon, Maldives and the Internet. 

They arrived in a small, square and stark white building somewhere in downtown Los Angeles. Compared to the rest of the city, the area was pretty quiet and secluded. There were a few children playing games in the middle of the road, and a few adults lounging by the sidewalk, but that was basically it.

Nathan got out of the car, and instinct told him to brace himself for the paparazzi that would soon hound him in a few more seconds. He opened his eyes, surprised. There were no blinding snapshots, no rude photographers – no awkward questions yelled in his ear, no people shoving each other to grab on his shirt or to catch a glimpse of their favorite basketball player. There was only the peaceful silence Nathan hadn't experienced in years.

A small smile played on his face, which Haley noticed. "It's an amazing feeling, isn't it?"

"What is?"

"To get out of the car like a normal person," she replied.

Nathan nodded. "It's great – for once in my career, I'm not being hounded by any fans once I step out in public."

"C'mon you two, we don't want to be late." Lucas reminded them, as he motioned for them to follow him into the building.

Nathan looked up to see the fading words of _St. Claire's Orphanage_ on the façade of the building. The name sounded strangely familiar, but before he could try and recall where he had heard it before, Haley was already dragging him inside.

As soon as he stepped inside, there was a sudden uproar of screams and shouts of "_It's him, it's him_!" and Nathan was soon knocked off his feet as children began to throw themselves at him and yelling that the "greatest basketball player in the world" was actually in there orphanage.

He could barely make out what was happening, or who was there, as Nathan struggled to get up from the floor. "Alright kids, let Mr. Scott breathe – okay? Get off him," a motherly voice said from somewhere.

Nathan saw a laughing Haley hovering over him. "You okay, superstar?"

"I think those kids could give the paparazzi a run for their money," he said hoarsely.

Haley laughed, as she reached down to help him up. "C'mon, you have to meet the owner."

They approached a kindly-looking, short, plump woman who looked like she was in late forties. She was holding a little girl in her arms, while another child tugged at her dress. She smiled warmly at Nathan, whose eyes narrowed slightly. There was something strangely familiar with the woman, but he couldn't place it.

"You don't remember me, do you, Mr. Scott?" The woman asked, her gentle, grey eyes twinkling mischievously.

"Allow me to enlighten you, little brother –" Lucas said, intervening but at the same time amused at how confused Nathan looked. "D'you remember your first year in the NBA? You played in this charity basketball game – and it was your very first game in the NBA, too –"

At once, Nathan remembered.

_**Four years ago**_

_Nathan Scott was trembling – hell, he was practically shaking as he paced the hallway that eventually led outside to the actual basketball court of the Staples Center._

"_Calm down – calm down – you're not going to screw this up, Scott – it's your first ever game in the NBA – prove to them that you deserve to be here – that you're _meant_ to be here."_

"_That's an awful lot to put on your own shoulders, boy." A kind voice said from behind him._

_Nathan spun around to see a middle-aged woman smiling at him. She looked like some fan who seemed to be lost, since she didn't seem as official-looking enough to be there. "Excuse me?"_

"_I'm just saying – Scott, is it?" She glanced momentarily at Nathan's jersey, when he turned to pace some more. "Well, Mr. Scott – you seem to be putting too much pressure on yourself."_

_Nathan ignored her, as he continued to mutter inaudible things under his breath._

_When he noticed that she wasn't going anywhere, he decided to humor her. "Are you even allowed to be here?"_

"_I own the orphanage that's going to get all the proceeds from this game."_

_He froze, as he spun around to gaze at her strangely._

"_You didn't know, did you? Ah well, no one really does. All they think is that you're sponsoring some random charity, and they just came here to watch the game and not for the actual cause." She said in a surprisingly cheerful voice._

_Nathan didn't know why, but he suddenly felt sorry for her. "I'm – sorry."_

_She waved a hand impatiently in the air. "It doesn't matter – as long as the children get to eat something decent every once in a while," the woman approached him. "Why are you so nervous? It's just a basketball game. And you're not even playing to win a prize."_

"_I am. I'm playing for the prize of being known – being recognized." Nathan said honestly._

"_Aren't we all, Mr. Scott? But why are you so – intent on winning?"_

"_It's my first game. I want to prove to them that I deserve to be here. But most of all, I want to prove to my dad that I deserve to be here. All he's ever done is put me down and criticize me. I want to play a game that'll make him proud – that'll prove him wrong – that'll make him realize that all those years, he was wrong." Nathan said._

_She noticed the tension in his voice. "He's not a very good father, is he?"_

"_He thinks that it was with his money that I got here. I want to show him that I don't need his money to be a basketball player in the NBA. Maybe he'll actually say something remotely close to the territory of 'nice.'" Nathan said, in a twinge of hope in his voice._

"_How long have you played basketball, Mr. Scott?"_

"_Long enough for me to love it," he answered._

"_Listen Mr. Scott – you don't have to prove anything to a man who can't even prove to his son that he's a good father. You look like the kind of boy who'll make all those critics' jaws drop. You don't need to prove anything to anyone. Just go out there and play the game you love." She said gently._

_Suddenly, the buzzer rang, which was the cue that the game was just about to begin. Nathan turned to her, smiling gratefully. "Thank you, er –"_

"_Call me Grace, sweetheart."_

_Nathan pulled her into a hug, and whispered, "Thank you, Grace. This game's for you."_

_The next day, the headlines read; Rookie Nathan Scott leads the LA Lakers to an astounding twenty-point win in last night's charity basketball game._

Nathan's face broke into a huge smile. "Of course I remember you, Grace."

She laughed, as he hugged her tightly. "It took you long enough. Still the headliner, I see."

He winced. "Not really for the right reasons,"

"That's why I'm here to change it, Mr. Scott."

They spent the rest of the day playing with the children, while Lucas took pictures to give to the press later on. Nathan taught the older boys to play basketball, and planted kisses on giddy girls' cheeks, much to their delight. For the first time in his life, Nathan never felt more at peace – like there was nothing in the world that could possibly ruin that day. He was simply glad to be of any help to them.

However, he couldn't help but steal glances at Haley every now and then. She was in the other side of the backyard, playing with a few little girls while carrying a baby in her arms. She would sometimes catch him staring at her, and she'd smile at him shyly then go back to whatever she was doing.

"Who is she, Mr. Scott?" Grace asked him all of a sudden.

"That's Haley – she's a – uh, publicist." Nathan said, unable to conceal the pride in his voice.

"She likes you, you know." Grace observed.

"No she doesn't –" he said defensively, then quickly added, "You really think so?"

She laughed. "She blushes whenever she catches you looking at her. When you're not looking, she steals glances at you, two. I've never seen a more obvious chemistry between two people before."

"Chemistry?" He repeated. "Grace please, we're just friends."

"And somehow, the way you're smiling right now doesn't really convince me."

* * *

Haley was seated on the curb as she looked at their pictures in Lucas' digital camera. Every now and then, she would see a picture of Nathan playing with a child or teaching someone how to shoot or a ball, or simply posing with some random kid, and her heart would race all of a sudden. He was having a strange effect on her.

"Hey, instead of staring at that picture of me, why not stare at the real thing?" Nathan's voice drawled from behind her.

She blushed slightly, and moved a little so he could take a seat next to her. "Are you having fun?"

"I'm having the best, Hales – I never thought I'd end up enjoying something like this – but I really do. I forget all my problems when I'm with these kids. They're amazing. This day was amazing." Nathan said sincerely.

"I'm glad you find it that way, Nate. It's not every day I get to convert a jackass to a sincerely nice person." Haley teased.

Nathan frowned slightly, pretending to be seriously offended. "Hey! I was nice before any of this happened."

She laughed as she stared out into the horizon. She shivered slightly from the cold, and Nathan apparently noticed because the next thing she knew, his arm was around her shoulders and she was leaning into him.

She knew she shouldn't be doing it, but she couldn't help it. There was an odd sense of comfort whenever she was in his arms, and she loved it. She then spoke up, "You realize that we've been taking pictures all day, but there's not one of us together?"

He grinned, as he took the camera from her. "Well, we'll just have to fix that won't we?" He pulled her closer into him so she could be in the frame and he immediately pressed the button.

Haley pulled back and swatted his arm. "I wasn't ready yet! I probably blinked in that picture."

Nathan glanced at it, and laughed loudly. "You did. I look really hot in this picture, I think this'll do."

"Nathan! That's not fair! I want another one!" She whined.

"Well, okay – but just in case your eyes are closed again in the picture, I'll close mine, too." Before Haley could even try to comprehend what he just said, he pulled her into his arms and gave her a gentle kiss. Haley let out a soft moan as she parted her lips for him. He slipped his tongue inside her mouth, and explored the sweet crevices. She was so lost in the kiss that she didn't even notice that he already took the picture.

Nathan lowered the camera, but he wasn't ready to stop kissing her just yet. And judging by the way she responded to his kisses, she wasn't ready, either.

* * *

**Whew, that was a long chappie! Please review!**


	18. Falling Hard, Falling Fast

**The response to that last chapter was great! Thank you so much for those kind words of encouragement and suggestions. I'll definitely be considering using some of them in the future chapters, with full credit, of course. Reviews are all greatly appreciated, and are taken to heart. I read each of them at least thrice, even the short ones. That's how much I love your reactions.**

**This next chapter is dedicated to my four closest friends in college right now; Jehan, Kim, Cha and Ann. I am so glad that they are around to help me with my university-related woes. They are the reason why I was able to put this chapter up. I did not forget you, Simon. I love you so much!**

**Okay, I'm stopping my meaningless rambles now. Enjoy this chapter!**

**----Sera**

**

* * *

****Disclaimer: **My name does not start with Mark, and most certainly does not end with Schwahn. You all know who I'm talking about. 

Brooke was just adding the finishing touches to her latest sketch, which was eventually going to be an addition to her upcoming fall line, when there was a knock on her apartment door. She went to answer it, not taking her eyes off the portfolio she was scanning. "Look, Goldilocks – I'm pretty busy right now, and you should've called me that you're coming to visit."

"Wrong blond, Brooke – and I thought you'd appreciate a nice surprise visit from me every once in a while." It was Lucas, and he was smiling down at her.

Brooke let out a squeal and threw her arms around his neck, letting the portfolio fall to the floor. Smirking, he wrapped her in his arms and kissed her senseless.

"Of course I'd appreciate a visit from you, Luke," said Brooke, as she went off to the living room and sat on the couch opposing the coffee table full of her sketches. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too," he sat next to her as he began to flip through the portfolio he picked up from the floor. "These are really good, Brooke. They look amazing."

She beamed. "Thanks. I've worked really, really hard on them, and it took me ages to finish it. You really think it's good?"

"It's more than good, Brooke," he leaned towards her to give her a quick kiss. "You've been busy lately."

"So have you, Luke. You didn't even call me back when I left you a message on your answering machine last night." Brooke said, pouting.

"I'm sorry, Pretty Girl, but remember that I had to go to that little charity event of Nathan yesterday to take pictures? I was really tired last night, so I wasn't able to call back, much less listen to your message." Lucas reminded her.

"Oh, yeah – I completely forgot. How did that go?"

"It went great. I just had the photos developed today. You want to be the first to see how they look?"

Brooke took the photographs from him, and began to look at them one by one. Most of them were of Nathan posing with some children, or playing with them. He looked surprisingly happier than Brooke had ever seen him. There was a twinkle in his eyes that she never saw when he was on television.

There were some of Lucas with a few kids, and occasionally, Haley was there, but usually in the background. She looked pretty happy, too – happier than Brooke remembered her being. She knew Haley better than anyone else, and she didn't have that look on her face in years.

She frowned – were Haley and Nathan – no, that was impossible. Haley swore that she would never be involved with the man who took away her virginity. The last time Brooke checked, Haley practically loathed the guy.

The next picture caused Brooke to let out a high-pitched scream, which caused Lucas to wince and jump slightly in his seat.

"What's wrong?" Lucas asked.

Brooke set down the photograph on the table. It was Nathan and Haley's picture, and it wasn't just any picture – it was their picture kissing. "That girl has a _lot_ of explaining to do."

Lucas frowned at her. "What are you planning?"

She smiled slyly, tossing her hair. "Oh, you know me. It could be anything."

"For some reason, I'm scared for them."

"Oh, shut up, and help me…"

* * *

_Nathan and Haley arrived home late that night. The entire car ride was an awkward silence. Whether it was because of the overwhelming sexual tension or the uneasiness of sudden and surprising emotions they both felt, or both – they weren't sure. It was simply too weird to say anything._

_Haley was the first to take a shower, and when she walked into the living room wearing nothing but pale blue silk robe and the incredibly intoxicating scent of her shampoo wafting in the air, it took every fiber of being in Nathan not to take her down right then and there. Instead, he tore his gaze away and began to stare at the television._

"_I'm going to bed," she announced, and turned to leave._

_Unable to resist anymore, Nathan stood up and followed her to the doorway of her bedroom._

"_What are you doing here?" She asked him, her eyes narrowing in suspicion._

_He grinned. Nathan loved her when she was all riled up and irritated. It was as hot as hell, and it only made his pants tighter than it already was. He smirked down at her, loving the effect it had on her. Like all the other times it happened, her glare softened and she looked up at him with those gorgeous, innocent, chocolate-brown eyes he loved. "I just wanted to say good night."_

"_Well, good night." Haley said, as she began to push the door close, but Nathan quickly put his foot in front of the door._

"_I also wanted to kiss you good night," and without another word, he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. He felt the familiar swooping sensation in the pit of his stomach when his lips came in contact with hers. _

_Their kiss was short, sweet and gentle – like it was the most natural thing in the world. When they pulled apart, Nathan was glad to hear her utter a soft moan. He winked at her. "See you tomorrow, Hales."_

"Where are you off to?" A voice said behind him.

Nathan snapped out of his stupor and looked at Haley's reflection in the mirror. She was standing behind him. God, she looked beautiful, and she didn't even have any idea that she was. Her wavy hair framed her angelic face, and despite the fact she was wearing her simplest shirt and worn-out jeans, she was a knock-out. "Uh – what?"

"I said – where are you off to? I mean, look at you – you look like you're going somewhere really fancy and important. Big basketball meeting tonight?" She asked him.

He shook his head. "Sort of – it's more of a big date,"

He gazed into her eyes, hoping to see a flicker of disappointment in them but there wasn't. Her usually warm eyes hardened, but she smiled sweetly at him. "Really? You didn't tell me you had a date."

"Yeah – it just sort of came up. You don't mind, do you?" This time, his gaze was even more intent on finding even a single trace of emotion in her eyes, but she looked away.

"No, not at all – go ahead. You're perfectly entitled to go on dates. Who am I to stop you?"

"Thanks a lot, Hales. I'll see you tonight, okay?"

When he was gone, Haley felt tears spring into her eyes as she furiously tried to blink them away. _After all, I'm just your publicist with whom you made out with for oh, I don't know – a dozen times. Why should I even matter?_

* * *

When Nathan arrived home late that night, he wasn't surprised to see Haley already sound asleep in her bedroom. He couldn't deny the guilt that was weighing upon his shoulders. Nathan didn't even like the girl – he just went to go as a favor for one of his teammates.

Besides, all he could think about during their date was Haley. He wanted nothing better to go home and be with her. He would much rather talk to Haley for the rest of night instead of listen to that bleach blond talk endlessly about her designer bags, and shoes and her stupid Chihuahua.

But most of all, he wanted nothing better than to see her plead for him not to go – or at least get mad for him going, so he would know how she felt about him. God, Nathan felt awful when he left and she didn't even seem to care. She just stood there, and even smiled at him.

He cautiously snuck in and planted a kiss on her temple. "I'm so sorry, Hales."

He had no idea, but Nathan Scott was falling hard – and falling fast.

* * *

**Again, reviews would be awesome. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me, and I'd be happy to answer them. Please review!**


	19. Jealousy Dates

**Hey, guys! Thank you for the reviews for that last chapter. I'm so sorry if it was kind of short, and kind of boring, but it was a springboard for this chapter, which I'm really psyched to say that is long and full of that Nathan and Haley bickering that you love.**

**Thank you to my friend, Vivi for helping me with this chapter. It's because of her that I was able to get all my homework and this chapter done and post it three days before schedule! So this chapter is dedicated to her.**

**Reviews are very much appreciated.**

**----Sera**

**

* * *

****Disclaimer: **I don't own anything about One Tree Hill, except this story. 

"Hey, Nate – how was your big date last night?" Haley asked him, as she joined him on the counter.

Nathan inhaled her scent of jasmine, and tried not to look like he was affected by it. "It was alright – a bore, as usual. I don't even remember half of the things we talked about, or rather, what _she_ talked about. It was a complete waste of time."

Haley shrugged. "Well, it's not the first of your crappy dates – so, you wouldn't mind if I tell you that you should get used to it now."

He raised a brow at her. "Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"No, it's supposed to make you laugh, or even better, piss you off – but it seems someone has already done that ahead of me. What's wrong?" She asked.

"Nothing,"

Haley stared at him for awhile. "Well, this was a fun and memorable conversation. We should totally do that again – right now, I have to go get ready." She said, sliding off the stool and walking towards the door leading to the hallway.

"Get ready for what?"

"_My _big date,"

Nathan was stunned. He stared at her retreating figure stupidly for a few moments, and then when he snapped out of his stupor, he followed her down the hallway. "Wait, wait, wait – hold on a second, Hales – _you_ have a big date? You, Haley James, have a big date tonight? A date – as in, _you_ have a dinner and probably watch a movie with a guy that you could possibly like – that kind of date?"

She spun around, flaring instantly. "Is that so hard to believe?"

He winced when she threw him a scathing glare. _Come on, stupid brain – think of an excuse. _"Well, you're a workaholic with an obsessive-compulsive disorder and I don't know how you could possibly have time to meet a guy – much less, have a date with him."

"For your information, just because your only job is to shoot an orange ball through a really high hoop doesn't mean that I have an OCD for actually working hard in _my_ job. And another thing, I have Brooke to thank for that date."

Nathan inwardly cursed Brooke. That woman was getting more annoying by the day. "You can't go on that date!"

"Why not?"

"Because – uh, because – because he could – he could take advantage of you!" Nathan shouted, his voice practically filled with triumph that he came up with something good.

"So? It's not like what you did was any different." Haley said coldly.

Nathan's jaw dropped, unable to say a word.

"Look, Nathan – if you're jealous, you could just admit it to me and –"

"I am not jealous! I am just – worried and concerned for you." Nathan said loudly.

"Well, thank you, but I'll be fine. I'll see you later tonight, okay?"

He watched her enter her bedroom, closing the door behind her. At once, Nathan took out his cell phone and dialed Lucas' number. "Luke, I need a date!"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I need a date – _now_! And I need you to ask that annoying girlfriend of yours where Haley is having her date –" Before his brother could object, Nathan quickly added, "If you don't, I'll fill your life with misery and woe even if you decide to change your last name and disown me."

A smile spread on Nathan's face as he listened to Lucas' answer.

* * *

Haley nervously ran her fingers through her blond hair as she hoped that agreeing to go on the date wasn't a bad idea. Brooke had called her early that morning and was practically whining when Haley protested at first, and as usual, she was won over and here she was now, riding in the backseat of her date's car.

He smiled at her in a rather reassuring way. Haley felt less nervous now. He seemed really nice, and he wasn't bad at all to look at. He had sandy blond hair and gentle, light blue eyes. Brooke had said that he was one of her models, and she had "sworn" that he was incredibly cute. She was right.

"Listen – Haley, thanks for agreeing to go out with me. Brooke has been talking so much about you, that it sort of made me want to get to know you more." He said.

Haley smiled back at him. "It's not a problem, Jason. To tell you the truth, you're the first date I've been with in years. It's nice to know that not all guys are jerks. So where are we going, anyway?"

"I thought I'd take you to this really awesome restaurant downtown. Reservations are really hard to get, so I got them two weeks before our date." To prove it to her, he held up a pair of what looked to be tickets of some sort.

Haley's face broke into a soft smile. "You really thought I'd say yes?"

"No, but I was hoping you would."

The car arrived in front of a huge restaurant which seemed to be really full of people. There was even a long line in front of the reservation booth that reached until the end of the street. He offered her his arm, which she gladly took as he led her inside.

They were immediately seated and given menus. Once Haley ordered her food, she was able to take a good look around. The restaurant was decorated tastefully, and soothing jazz music was being played in the background. There was a huge dance floor that was partly filled with people, and a stage where some instruments were set up.

"I've never been here before, but Brooke has always told me that it was good here." Haley said.

"Yeah, she was actually the one who recommended this place and –"

"Well, well – what a pleasant surprise. I didn't think I'd run into you here, Haley." A familiar voice drawled.

Haley looked up, and much to her dislike, Nathan was standing in front of their table while some very pretty brunette stood next to him. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, didn't I tell you awhile ago? I was going to have a date tonight, too but I had no idea we'd both be having our dates in the same place." The mischievous glint in Nathan's eyes told Haley otherwise.

"Hey – aren't you Nathan Scott?" Jason interjected, his eyes widening.

"Glad to know you know who I am, Guy-I've-Never-Met-Before. This is my date, Melissa –"

"It's _Miranda_," the girl said irritably.

"Right – her name's Maria – well, we'll go find seats as well. We'll be seeing you." Nathan winked at Haley as he walked away.

"Wow, Haley – I had no idea you were good friends with Nathan Scott." Jason said in disbelief.

"We're not good friends – excuse me," Haley marched over to Nathan's seat and said, "May I borrow him for just a moment? It won't take long, I swear." She grabbed his arm and pulled him to the corner. "What the hell do you think you're doing here, spying on me?"

"Spying on you?" Nathan repeated. "Excuse me, I'm just here on a date with Melina –"

"Her name's Miranda – and you don't even know your date's name! Do you honestly think that I'd be stupid enough to believe you're on a date – which just so happens to be in the same place where I'm having a date!" Haley hissed.

"Look, Hales – I won't bother you tonight. It's like I'm not even here, okay? Just go on and pretend that Pretty Boy Model over there is me so you could have some decent fun." Nathan was just about to turn away when she grabbed him again.

"Excuse me? I don't have to pretend that Jason is you to have fun – because he is a great guy, and I am already having tons of fun."

"Then go on back to John – or whatever the hell his name is, and have fun. But if I catch you counting your fourteenth ceiling crack, you're going to eat your words. Just go back there, and pretend to have fun, like the OCD girl with the stuck up your ass that you are."

Haley narrowed her eyes at him, and went to her table. She grabbed Jason and pulled him to the dance floor. "Let's dance,"

"Er – okay –" Jason paused. "Hales – are you and Nathan Scott together or something?"

Haley tore her eyes away from Nathan and his date, who were already having dry sex on the dance floor. "What? No, don't be ridiculous. Why?"

"It's just that – he seemed to be really jealous when he saw you and me together. I don't want to get in between the two of you and –"

Haley shook her head. "Don't mind him. He's just too protective of me sometimes. We're like siblings. Let's just dance, okay?" She wrapped her arms around Jason's neck and buried her face into his shoulder so she could look away from Nathan. If she watched them any more than she already was, she would throw up. Every now and then, a waiter holding glasses of champagne and tequila passed by, and Haley would reach over to drink an entire glass.

_I'll show him who's the one with the stick up her ass._

The music became a lot faster, as Paula DeAnda's new song, _Easy_ began to play. Haley was soon lost in the music as she began to dance against Jason's body. He pulled her closer, holding her by the waist as she grinded herself up against him. She smiled to herself when she heard him groan. The amount of alcohol she drank was dizzying, and she soon lost track of everything.

Suddenly, Nathan marched towards them and pulled them apart. "Get your hands off her, Model Boy. Go dance with someone else," he looked down at her. "Hales, are you alright? You had way too much alcohol again."

"Who are you? I don't know you." She said, her eyes slightly cross-eyed as she looked up at him.

"C'mon, let's get you home." Nathan held her tightly to make sure that she didn't lose her balance. Haley was drunk enough to walk straight into a wall and not think there was a wall there.

Once they were outside, he went to his car and helped her inside. Nathan watched Haley with amusement as she mumbled inaudible things to herself. She felt his eyes on her, so she gazed at him. "I know you – you're Nathan, the man-whore," She giggled to herself. "I don't like you very much – no wait, I do like you. In fact, I think you're really hot."

Nathan raised a brow at her. Well, this was definitely getting interesting. "Really?"

She nodded earnestly. "You have the prettiest eyes I've seen – they're really dark – and so nice to get lost in. We fight a lot, because you're a disgusting pervert. But I like it when we fight. And I really like it when we make out."

He laughed at her. "I really like it, too."

She pushed herself against him. "I'll tell you a secret, but you have to promise not to tell Nathan, okay? You promise?" When he nodded, she continued, "You know that model guy I was with awhile ago? I was only with him to make Nathan jealous, because I was jealous that he was on that date with that girl last night."

Nathan's eyes widened. Was it true? Was she really jealous? He felt his heart soar.

"The truth is, I really, really like Nathan – in fact, I may even –" she paused. Nathan waited excitedly for what she was going to say next. All of a sudden, she threw up all over his jeans and his leather seat cover. He swore, nearly swerving dangerously to the other lane. He glanced at her. She had passed out.

To his surprise, Nathan didn't even feel angry or annoyed that she ruined his car, and made it smell like her puke. In fact, he gently lifted her inside the house and set her on the bed. He took off her clothes, one by one. He was tempted to stare at her body for awhile, but decided that there were other times to do that, now that he knew how she felt for him. Nathan put her into one of his old jerseys and gave her a sponge bath.

He sat by her bedside, looking at her. God, she was so beautiful. Her words played like a broken record in his head.

_I was only with him to make Nathan jealous, because I was jealous that he was on that date with that girl last night …_

Nathan smiled, feeling that familiar lurch in his heart. "You have no idea how jealous I was of that guy awhile ago, Hales. I wished that was me."

* * *

**Whew, that was actually 6 pages in Microsoft Word! I hope you enjoyed that. Please leave a review.**


	20. Brooke's Idea

**Hey, guys! As usual, I loved your reviews, but I'm kind of wondering why there weren't as much reviews as the previous chapters. I'm really curious on why, because if it were my style of writing in that chapter, I'm so sorry. Like most of you, school has got me so worked up and stressed, so maybe it affected my writing or something. If there is anything that I could improve on, please don't hesitate to tell me, because I really am here to please you guys.**

**I'm so sorry I didn't update for two weeks or something. I had to leave the university for Christmas break, and I couldn't go online to update at all. Let me tell you, it was so depressing, especially when I'm on a roll writing updates. I have something to make up for all the time I wasn't able to update. I've already written the next five chapters, so expect pretty fast updates. Also, I've written three (count that, **_**three**_**) one-shots that I'm really excited for you to read. So anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed your holidays!**

**This is a pretty long chapter, and reviews would be lovely.**

**----Sera**

**

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****Disclaimer: **Nope, still don't own it. 

When Haley stirred awake the next morning, she wasn't entirely sure of where she was. She had a pounding headache, and when she tried to get up, there was a sudden, sharp pain shooting in her temples that she needed to lie down again.

She closed her eyes as her fingertips rubbed circles into her temples, trying to sort things out. She could barely remember what happened last night. All she could remember that she was on that date with Jason and Nathan interrupted them – _Nathan_. Haley wondered where he was.

She didn't have to wonder for long because as soon as she turned her head to the side, she saw him lying next to her, fast asleep. Haley let out a high-pitched scream as she stood up. She soon realized that she was wearing his old Duke Blue Devils' college basketball jersey – and God forbid, nothing underneath it.

Nathan woke up with a start, and he sleepily rubbed his eyes. "What's going on?" He looked up at Haley, who was standing by the bed, clutching the blanket to her chest and looking petrified. "Isn't it funny how we always wake up like this? Either one of us is hung-over, but you always wake up screaming at me."

Haley was miffed at how amused Nathan seemed to be. He didn't seem to understand the gravity of the situation at all. "Oh my God, I swore to myself I wouldn't sleep with you again –" She glared at him when he smirked at her. "This isn't funny, Nathan! I can't believe you got me drunk again!"

"Hey, for your information – you got drunk yourself. I had nothing to do with it."

"Okay – so I got drunk myself – but I can't believe you took advantage of me!"

Nathan sighed. "I didn't take advantage of you, Haley. You threw up all over the car – the smell is still there, by the way – and all over your clothes so I had to give you a sponge bath and let you wear one of my clothes. I swear to God that I didn't gawk at you, or do anything other than what I just said."

Haley was silent for awhile. Was it really true? Was he really telling the truth? "So – you _didn't _take advantage of me?"

He smirked at her. "Trust me, honey – with all the things you've been rambling about last night, I don't need to take advantage of you. You'll come around eventually."

She gaped at him, fear bubbling from deep within her. She was terrified – no, horrified of what she might've said. It could be anything – or God forbid, it could be about what she really felt about him – and their current situation. A deep blush crept up her face. "What – what did I say?"

Nathan shrugged. "Oh, a bunch of stuff – don't worry, it's nothing serious. I just want you to know though – the ball's in my court now, and I intend to take advantage of that opportunity," he grinned at her as he got off the bed. "See you downstairs."

Haley stared at his retreating figure in dumbfounded silence. She wondered how much she had really said, nervous that Nathan knew way more than he should. Haley herself wasn't even quite sure of how she really felt about Nathan and if she had somehow blabbed about it last night – well, it was pretty much over for her.

_God help me._

* * *

"Oh, Gol-di-locks! Come over here, I have to show something!" Brooke called in a singsong voice from the bedroom.

Peyton went into the bedroom, one hand covering her eyes. "If it's another goddamned sex video of yours, I swear to God, I'll throw myself off the window and –"

Brooke waved an impatient hand in the air. "Don't be ridiculous – I don't make sex videos anymore, since Lucas doesn't seem to understand the concept of how hot and kinky it is to watch yourself –"

"Brooke – enough! Seriously, you and Lucas having sex is _not_ a mental image I would welcome in my mind. It's disturbing enough that I walked into you both practically going at it in the kitchen counter – God, do you know how hard it is for me to walk in there now and try to pretend I don't remember that scarring image?" Peyton said as she leaned against the nearest drawer, her green eyes closing tightly in disgust.

"Just so you know – we had sex there, too." Brooke added, pointing to the drawer that Peyton was leaning on.

She immediately leaped away, proceeding to sit on the bed but then thought against it. "I think I'll stand," she decided.

Brooke pouted at her. "I just washed these sheets, you know. And the floor you're standing on with your bare feet – well, we christened that, too –"

"Could we please just get to the point of you calling me here?" Peyton said loudly before her best friend could say anything else.

"Okay, okay – look at this picture of Nathan and Haley –" Brooke shuffled through a stack of photographs until she found the picture of the couple kissing passionately. She proudly set it on the bed so Peyton could get a clear view.

Peyton's jaw dropped. "Since when does Haley kiss men she vows she won't ever get involved with?"

Brooke rolled her eyes impatiently. "Oh please, P. Jagielski, it's not like Haley could really go through with all that 'I'm-not-going-to-be-involved-with-the-jackass-who-took-away-my-virginity' crap. I mean, have you _seen_ Nathan? Any woman would have to be blind and completely insane to live with him and not want to go to bed with him. Besides, we both always knew that Haley was always attracted to him, even if she practically wanted to murder him."

"You have a point there, but I don't know – it doesn't sound like Haley –"

"Oh, God – give me a break, Peyton. That woman must be the most sexually frustrated being on the planet. She's only had sex once, and it's with the man that she hates but sort of loves at the same time. Besides, I recall a certain blond who also hated this guy's guts before – and look, she's now married to him, and having his baby."

Peyton sighed in defeat. "Oh, fine – you're right. But what should we do about it?"

Brooke flashed one of her dimpled smiles. "The only way to get any fire going between those two is to set the mood, and I have the perfect way to do it."

* * *

Haley had just taken a shower when she heard someone knocking on the door. Frowning, she cinched the tie around her robe tighter and walked down the hall. "Nathan, someone's at the door!"

"Would you get that, Hales?" He called from the kitchen.

She rolled her eyes. "Lazy ass," she muttered and went to the front door. She opened the door and was shocked to see her two best friends standing in the front door. "Did – did anything happen that I should know about?"

Brooke winked at her as she surveyed the bathrobe and how obvious it was that Haley was only wearing underwear beneath it. "Ooh, already getting ready for it, are we? Excellent,"

Haley turned to Peyton, looking at her questioningly.

"I'm just here because I have nothing better to do," Peyton said, shrugging.

Brooke glared at her. "Can we come in?"

"Uh, sure – but don't –"

Brooke immediately went inside, and looked around the mansion. "Impressive – very impressive – Boy Toy's interior designer is a genius. Ask him for the number later, okay? Speaking of Boy Toy, where is he?"

"Okay, Brooke – first of all, what is going on? And second, don't call Nathan that. He'll get really pissed off." Haley said warningly.

"Don't call me what?" Nathan asked, walking into the room.

"Oh, Boy Toy – good, you're here – looking as hot, as always. You just _have_ to show me around the place. The design is just gorgeous." Brooke said eagerly, as she linked her arm with his and practically dragging him down the hall.

Nathan turned his head, exchanging bewildered looks with Haley. "Hales –"

"I'm sorry, Nate – I don't know why –"

"Oh, how cute – you already have pet names for each other. Be sure to use that when you have that talk later." Brooke said, as she pushed the pair into the bedroom.

"Peyton! What is going on?" Haley asked, her voice rising in slight panic.

Before she could answer, Brooke quickly closed the door. Nathan and Haley heard a loud thud against the door. He tried to push the door open, but it seemed like Brooke had rammed it close with furniture or something. Suddenly, the lights went off, making Haley scream and throwing herself against Nathan.

"You kids have fun!" Peyton called, as she laughed with Brooke. Their footsteps faded until all they could hear was silence.

"Haley, is this your idea of a joke, because this isn't funny! I have a date to go to!" Nathan said angrily.

Haley instantly flared as she pushed him away. "You think I put those two up to this? I have no idea what's going on – and what they're planning! And do you really think I'd want to be locked up in a bedroom with no lights with you? Well, I don't because as far as I can tell, you're an ass!"

"_I'm_ an ass?" Nathan repeated incredulously. "Excuse me, but you seem to be forgetting that I brought you home last night, cleaned up your puke and changed you when you were dead drunk!"

"Well genius, I'd obviously forget it because I was drunk – which is the only time you'll ever bother being with me because other than that, you never are! I'm sorry about Brooke and Peyton, okay? I have no idea why they did this, and I know you're itching to go have unbridled sex with your new hot date, but you'll just have to make do with being locked up with me. I'm sorry if I ruined your night and your big date." Haley said angrily. She was seething and practically trembling with anger.

For a minute, Nathan stared at her, dumbfounded. He cautiously approached her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Hales –"

"Don't touch me!" She screamed shrilly at him. "I don't know how this night could possibly be any worse, and I don't know what I hate more – me being in a really dark room and being scared to death about it, or me baring my feelings to you like that."

Nathan couldn't ignore the guilt bubbling within him. He went over to the window and opened the curtains, so the moonlight shone through the glass, lighting parts of the room. He could see her beautiful face, contorted as she tried to calm herself down. Feeling the familiar but disturbing heave of his heart, he walked to her and held her against him. To his surprise, instead of pushing him away, she buried her face into his chest.

"It's alright, Hales. It's not that dark anymore, and I'm here with you. Nothing's going to happen, okay? I'm here to protect you."

She looked up at him with those gorgeous brown eyes. "I don't remember much from last night, but I'm pretty sure you protected me. Thank you."

He smiled down at her, making her heart flutter unexpectedly. "I'm always here to protect you, Hales. Always."

For a few moments, they gazed into each other's eyes in silence – taking in what the other said, taking in everything. Haley took a deep breath and stood on her toes, feeling her heart thumping so hard against her chest that she wondered if he felt it, too. "Nate – I – I don't know what I said to you last night – but whatever it was – it's probably the truth."

"If it is, then I'm really glad it is – because it's exactly how I feel."

And without another word, Nathan leaned down and kissed her. She let out a soft gasp and let his probing tongue in without hesitation. She stroked his tongue with hers and smiled happily when she heard him groan and felt his arousal against her. Nathan encircled her waist with his arms, pulling her closer to him. Haley began to run her fingers through his hair, her fingernails scraping lightly over his scalp.

Nathan lifted one leg against his and ran his fingertips over the smooth skin. He pulled his lips away from hers and began to nibble on her neck, wanting to leave a mark. His fingers reached the edge of her lacy underwear, and he began to gently stroke the skin beneath the elastic, making her moan his name loudly. "Yes, Nathan – don't stop –"

Haley pushed him off her slightly so she could unbutton his shirt slowly, letting her fingers linger on the skin beneath every button she removed. She leaned forward and kissed the base of his neck, thrilled when he murmured her name over and over. When her lips parted so she could trail her tongue over it, he went insane and grabbed her to him so they could fall on the bed together.

Haley straddled him, the moonlight striking her lovely features. Her blond waves were a mess as they cascaded over her shoulders and she was panting heavily. She began to untie her robe and was just about to slip it off her shoulders when he stopped her.

"Hales – are you sure about this?"

She nodded. "We're both sober – let's see where this leads us."

With a grin, Nathan growled and rolled her so she was lying beneath him. They began to exchange long, wet kisses that seemed to go on for hours. The need of oxygen seemed to be the last thing on their minds as they kissed over and over, savoring each other's taste

Haley pulled away, her breath coming in short, deep pants. "Nate – Nate, I remember last night. I remember what I said." She whispered.

"And?" Nathan's intense, blue eyes were hopeful.

"I feel the same way."

When they kissed each other again, they poured every unspoken emotion and words into the kiss, as if it was the last kiss they would ever share. The passion and the deep emotions in the kiss drove them insane, as each kiss slowly drove them over the edge of reason.

Haley could feel her protective walls shatter around her, and she realized that if she took this further, there was no turning back. She had opened herself up completely to him, and whatever happened after that night wouldn't matter anymore. She didn't care anymore.

She knew this was insane but – she loved him. She loved Nathan Scott.

-

**While writing the last Nathan and Haley scene in this chapter, I was listening to Gavin DeGraw's "More Than Anyone," Coldplay's "The Scientist" and Kelly Clarkson's "Timeless." I suggest you guys play it while reading the scene again, I swear, it sounds perfect. Or maybe that's just me. Anyway, I'd love to hear your comments! Please review!**


	21. Kiley

**Wow, look at me. Another update in less than a week! I must be really getting good at the whole updating thing! Or maybe I just have a lot of free time on my hands. Thank you for all the nice reviews, guys. They just make me grin from ear to ear for the rest of the day. I'd also like to personally thank Tutorial Girl for giving me probably the longest review I've ever received. I truly appreciate her comments on the different aspects of my story, and I'm probably going to work on those. (You guys should totally read her story because it is awesome).**

**And now for some personal advertising - please read my latest one-shot. It is rated M for good reason, but I'd truly love the comments anyone would give. Smut is not really my thing, and I'm trying to see if I can write it. I mean really, who doesn't love Naley smut?**

**Anyway, on with the story!**

**----Sera**

**

* * *

**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own a thing.

Later that night, Haley began to stir and as she sleepily opened her eyes, she felt Nathan's arms pull her closer to him. She glanced at the clock on the bedside table, and it was a little past twelve. She tried to get up but he wrapped his arms tighter around her.

"You're not thinking of leaving, are you?" He asked her sleepily.

She rolled her eyes at him. "Unless you forgot, Brooke rammed the door closed with furniture. We're probably stuck here until the morning."

"Good, because I wouldn't have it any other way," said Nathan as he let her lean her back against his chest. He inhaled the sweet scent of her hair, burying his face into the crook of her neck.

"Is that so? I distinctly remember you yelling and blaming me for getting stuck here because you're going to miss your big date." Haley said, her tone laced with slight envy.

Nathan chuckled. He always loved a jealous Haley. "Well, that was before any of this happened."

She turned around to face him. "Are you saying that if I didn't tell you how I felt about you, you would rather go on that date? Nathan Scott, I am insulted."

He laughed, as he leaned down to kiss her pouting lips. "Oh come on, Hales – are you telling me that you wouldn't slap me and call me a pervert if I came on to you and we didn't admit our feelings to each other yet?"

She shrugged. "You have a point," her eyes widened with doubt and worry. "Nate – you're not mad at me, are you?"

"Why should I be mad?"

"For last night – how I told you that I didn't want to have sex yet because –"

"You want to go through that whole dating and getting-to-know-each-other thing before anything else," he interrupted. "Hales, it's alright – I get what you're thinking. We don't want to be rushing into things again, and end up regretting it. Nice and slow is fine with me, really." To assure her, Nathan gave her a sweet, chaste kiss. "I'd love to get to know you, Haley James."

She smiled, snuggling up closer to him. "So would I – well, it's sort of my job anyway."

"I have an idea – let's just ask each other random questions until morning,"

She arched a brow at him. "Until morning?"

"Well, we could make out in between, too – if you want." He grinned at her.

She gave him a playful hit on the arm. "I'm being serious here,"

"Okay, okay, killjoy – I'll start. Where did you grow up?" He asked her.

The answer was almost automatic. "Tree Hill, North Carolina."

Nathan kinked a brow at her. "You're a small town girl?"

"Is that so hard to believe?"

He shrugged. "Well, no. I figured you'd be a small town kind of person, seeing as you don't even give a damn if your clothes are designer or not, even if your best friend is a world-renowned fashion designer. And you seem really laidback and low-maintenance. I just didn't know that you would be from a town even smaller than small – I mean, a town in _North Carolina_? You couldn't get any smaller than that."

"Hey, don't insult the place – it's not that bad," she said rather indignantly. "My childhood was actually pretty good, now that I think about it. We were seven in the family, excluding my parents. I was the youngest, and I was always the one that everyone else protected and tried to shield from the 'dangers of the outside world' or something."

"So you were the baby of the family?"

"You can put it that way. My brothers and sisters were pretty decent people, and they all grew up well – except for one sister, Taylor. We used to call her 'Hurricane Taylor' with good reason. She was the child before me and is around two years older than I am. She was really different compared to us. Taylor had good looks, and she often used them to get what she wanted. Hell, she drove my parents insane.

"When she was a toddler, she would cause this huge mess in the house, and our house wasn't very big from the beginning. God, my mom went nuts. But it was nothing compared when she hit puberty. Soon, Tay was like the town slut or something. I would walk down the halls in high school and just hear guys proclaiming how Tay was awesome in bed last night or something. She was popular with everyone – head cheerleader, prom queen … the works. The only problem was that she had a trouble with authority and she often rebelled against my parents. You could basically see why everyone was so protective of me because they were under the impression that I looked up to her, and I'd eventually end up like her someday."

Nathan actually let out a loud laugh. "That'll be the day."

Haley stuck out her tongue at him. "I never looked up to Taylor, nor did I ever admire her – she was always something way beyond me. She was the first of us to leave Tree Hill though. The day she turned sixteen and dad gave her our old car, she was just gone and off to God knows where. I was pretty jealous of that. I always wanted to leave our town – it was just something I wanted to do, you know?"

"So where do Brooke and Peyton fit into all of this?"

"Brooke, Peyton and I have been friends since we were toddlers, but you could clearly see how different we are from each other – Brooke was the bubbly, hyper, boy-crazy girly-girl, Peyton was the brooding, mysterious artist and music fanatic and I was –"

"The really intelligent but quiet girl who worked in the tutor center in her spare time," cut in Nathan.

She looked up at him in surprise. "How do you know that?"

"There's always one in every high school – like me, I was the –"

"Arrogant, self-absorbed jock that only cared about basketball, going to parties and getting laid," she finished, a sly smile on her face. "You're pretty easy to read, Nathan."

He winced. "God, that sounds bad if someone else says it, but yeah, well – I never really did change through the years. Otherwise, you wouldn't be here, trying to change my image."

"I have a question though; was there ever a point in your life when you just wanted to stop all the shit you were doing and settle down – you know, actually be serious about life?" She asked him.

His dark blue eyes suddenly went cold, and his entire body stiffened.

Haley, sensing that she had touched a sensitive topic, quickly added, "You – you don't have to answer if you –"

"Yeah, there was. Once – a long time ago – I was engaged." Nathan's voice was frightfully cold – like he was trying to suppress his emotions and keeping calm about it.

"Nate – you really don't need to answer it – we could talk about something else –"

But Nathan seemed to be lost in his memories as he began to speak, "Her name was Kiley – I met her during my senior year in high school. She was a transfer and she was instantly popular with everyone. Kiley was gorgeous, and she was really wealthy, but she never took advantage of people. She was in the honor roll, and a cheerleader, at that. Every guy wanted her, but she never said yes. Kiley was my lab partner in Physics class, and for the first time in my entire life, I felt nervous next to a girl.

"She somehow sensed that I was really nervous, but she probably thought it was because I was afraid to fail Physics, so she offered to tutor me. Who was I to say no? I mean, the most popular and hottest girl in school was offering to spend her free time with me and I seriously needed to pass, so I said yes. Somehow, through all those sessions, I managed to ask her out and that was it. We even went to the same university together. Everything was going well."

Haley was quiet as she looked up at Nathan's good-looking face. His eyes had a far-away look in them, but she could see the hurt and pain he had been hiding for years. No one probably even knew about Kiley, except Lucas. She pressed a reassuring hand on his arm, letting him know that it was alright to continue.

"Around the near end of our junior year, I proposed to her. Kiley was the only girl I saw myself being with for the rest of my life. She said yes, and we decided to tell our families as soon as summer came. Not long after that, Kiley found out that she was pregnant. I was thrilled. Every thing was going well. I was told that a career in the NBA was very possible, and Kiley could pursue what she wanted. Nothing could possible go wrong." Nathan's voice suddenly began to tremble.

"Her pregnancy was great – there wasn't any sort of complication – but – but when she was giving birth to our child – my son – she –" He suddenly stood up and began to pace the room. His breathing was ragged and heavy. Haley walked to him, but hesitated to move closer. When he turned to her, tears were forming in his eyes. "She died giving birth to him! Not only did _my_ son die, but the love of my life died! She died, Hales! She was everything I pictured in my future, and she fucking died! She was supposed to be my wife, Haley. She was supposed to be my wife, the mother of my children and she was just - suddenly taken away from me and left nothing!"

Nathan threw himself on the bed, and buried his face into his hands. It was then that Haley understood everything. She understood why he had those sudden mood swings when they kissed in the club – why he was such a playboy now – why he was so secretive about his past. "Nate – it's not your fault she died."

"There are times I wonder if there was something I had done for me to deserve something like that. Our life was perfect – maybe _too_ perfect, that God decided to give us a colossal disaster to make up for the perfection. I don't know. It's been years, Hales. I should have moved on by now. Instead, I play the field over and over again, and I end up thinking that her memory doesn't deserve something as shitty as what I'm doing."

Haley sat next to him, slipping into his arms and holding him close. "Nate –"

"I've been thinking that for a pretty long time now, but I've never stopped playing the field all those years," he gazed at her with his incredibly blue eyes. The sadness and pain was still there, but there was something else – something Haley couldn't quite place. "I think it's time for me to stop."

Before Haley could say anything, Nathan leaned down and kissed her tenderly – feeling the familiar lurch of his heart once again. "You make me a better person, Haley James."

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**This chapter is dedicated to Naley23Addict.**


	22. Repercussions of Last Night

**Hey guys. Once again, thank you for all the overwhelming reviews and responses to my story. I'm so glad you guys liked that chapter, because I was pretty nervous about it. It **_**was**_** more on the talking side, and I was unsure of how you guys would take the whole Kiley issue.**

**Thanks to ****Sophie0408**** for giving me probably the second longest review I've ever received, and one of the most helpful as well. Her comment and concerns really helped me out, mainly because it made me think over this story and re-direct it to a more realistic and intriguing plot. It is very much appreciated and duly noted.**

**Also, thank you very much to ****Inzie23**** for her suggestion, and I'm definitely considering the idea, with of course a twist of my own to keep you all in suspense. Again, this has helped me re-direct it to a more OTH-ish drama we all know and love. And yes, I did get the Kiley tragedy from Nicholas Sparks' book. It's like we share a brain. Lol. ****This chapter is dedicated to all of you readers, for your continuous support of this story. Thank you, thank you, thank you.**

**----Sera**

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****Disclaimer: **I only own this story. 

When Haley woke up once again, the sun was already streaming through the windows. She rubbed her eyes, expecting to see a sleeping Nathan next to her, but the bed was empty.

Frowning, she stood from the bed, and looked for something to wear other than her robe. Finally, she found one of Nathan's old Duke college shirts discarded on the floor and put it on. Haley gazed at her reflection on the mirror.

Her hair was a complete mess, there were dark circles under her eyes and she was wearing only her underwear beneath his shirt. She looked like she had sex with Nathan, which was probably the least possible thing they could have done last night. Haley's mind began to drift to the rest of their conversation last night.

"_You make me a better person, Haley James."_

_When Nathan's lips pulled away from hers and he whispered those words to her, Haley could have sworn her heart rate went into overdrive. She had the unmistakable feeling of giddiness, but as the feeling died down, she could not help but wonder if he was really serious._

_Nathan really loved Kiley – she was his first love, and she left him without so much as a word good-bye. Haley certainly knew what that was like, having Chris leave her with nothing but guilt and anger, as if it was all her fault that the relationship failed in the first place._

_Haley was not so sure if Nathan was really ready to let Kiley go. And even worse, what if she was just a replacement for someone who seemed to be so much better for him – someone that seemed to deserve him more? Haley felt like a complete pathetic loser compared to how Nathan described her. And there was this certain sparkle in his eyes when he talked about her – something Haley never saw before._

_Probably the biggest blow of it all was that she loved him. Haley loved a man she had only known for two weeks, and yet here she was in, in love with him. She had no idea how that was even remotely possible but she did, and he – he was still in love with Kiley._

"_Haley? Are you alright?"_

_Nathan's voice brought her back to earth. "I'm sorry – I just – what were you saying again?"_

"_This is probably the part of the movie where you're supposed to cry and hug me, and tell me all these mushy, romantic things –" He stopped when he saw tears forming in her eyes. He immediately pulled her into his arms. "Hey, hey – I was just kidding, Hales – what's the matter?"_

_Haley hesitated for a moment, pondering if she should tell him her thoughts. She didn't want to ruin the moment between them, not when things were starting to fall into place. Even if it seemed like she was a replacement, she wanted him to realize that a second love could be, if possible, even better than the first._

_She wanted the two months between them to be more than just good memories to him. Haley was determined to make it so._

_She shook her head. "It's – it's nothing, Nathan. I'm just really happy about this – about us, you know?"_

_Nathan knew that she was probably bothered about something, but he decided to let it go, knowing that in time, she would eventually tell him what was wrong. He leaned in and gave her a lingering kiss. "I'm really happy, too."_

_Haley rested her head on his shoulders, closing her eyes and taking it all in._

_Suddenly, Nathan spoke up, "Hey Hales, how do you feel about coming to watch me practice later? You could meet the guys, and then we could go out or something later."_

_Haley looked up, smiling at him. "I'd love to."_

She quickly ran her fingers through her hair in the hope of making it look a bit presentable and opened the door, not surprised that it was no longer jammed with furniture. She heard Brooke's loud voice coming from the kitchen, and immediately went there. She was met by Brooke, Peyton and Nathan, who all looked at her.

"Tutor Girl, you're finally awake! Did the hot and wild sex with Boy Toy wear you off?" Brooke asked cheerfully, as she set a plate of breakfast in front of her. "Here, have some eggs. You must be starving after being locked in that bedroom all night without dinner."

Haley eyed the plate warily, noting that the toast looked and smelled burned and truth be told, the eggs looked like it still had shells in them. "I think I'll pass. I've been best friends with Brooke long enough to know that eating food she cooked is a one-way ticket to the intensive care unit in the hospital."

Peyton let out a laugh as Brooke pouted at them. "At least have some coffee. You look like crap a truck ran over."

Haley frowned, turning to Nathan, who was seated beside her. "Do I really look that bad?"

Nathan shook his head. As a matter of fact, he thought Haley looked beautiful, even if she just woke up. She radiated this rare energy from her, and for some reason, she even made the entire room seem brighter than usual. "You look amazing as always, babe." He leaned toward her to give her a kiss. Haley let out a soft moan, as she parted her lips so he could slip his tongue into her mouth.

"Okay, that would've been so cute if I didn't see Boy Toy shove his tongue down your throat," interrupted Brooke, looking absolutely disgusted. Haley giggled when she saw Peyton gagging. "Oh, please, it's not like you two are ever decent when you're around Jake and Lucas."

"Hey, that's more of Brooke's thing, not mind." Peyton said defensively.

"Oh yeah, what about the time we went partying and you and Jake got so drunk before that when you two were seated on our chairs, you were practically in third base?" Brooke challenged.

"That was _one_ time!"

"Oh sure, and there was another _one_ time when we went to the mall and you two were as horny as rabbits during mating season so you went into this dressing room and –"

"_Okay_, I think I've heard enough. I'm scarred for life," said Nathan loudly, clapping his hands onto his ears. "I'll be in the shower," he stood up to leave. "Feel free to join me anytime, Hales."

Haley blushed to a crimson red but chose to keep quiet as she sipped her coffee.

For a moment, Brooke stared at her, then she suddenly let out a high-pitched scream, causing both Peyton and Haley to jump in surprise. "Oh my God, Hales – you totally had hot and wild sex with Boy Toy, didn't you? I was just kidding awhile ago when I said you had sex with him, but I had no idea you really did! How was it? How many times did you come?"

Peyton made a face and began gagging again. "Oh, gross B. Davis – I seriously don't need to know that."

"Don't be ridiculous, P. Jagielski, it's our job as best friends to know that kind of stuff." Brooke said, rolling her eyes impatiently at her as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Since when?"

"Since the dawn of mankind – have I not taught you anything?"

"Apparently, not enough – and come on, Brooke, that is one of the worst things you could have possibly come up with, and that's really saying something."

"Guys, relax – I didn't have sex with Nathan, okay? So you two can stop bickering." Haley cut in.

Brooke smiled one of her trademark dimpled smiles, looking relieved. "Oh, good – because I was really starting to worry that Mr. Size 14's was really a size 5, if you get my drift," she paused when Peyton and Haley burst into fits of laughter. "What? I mean, if you really did have hot sex with him, we could've heard your screams from the living room. It's not that far, you know."

Haley pulled Brooke and Peyton into her arms. "God, I love you guys. Thanks – for you know, locking us up in there. I think we both really needed it."

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Haley didn't know why, but she was pretty nervous about meeting up with Nathan's teammates. Nathan had found it hilarious that she changed into five different outfits, and still couldn't decide what to wear. She was just going to try something else on, but he warned her that he would just rip it off her and have his way with her if she didn't stop.

Of course, Haley would've really loved that – she just wasn't ready for that sort of thing with Nathan – _yet_.

Haley had finally decided on wearing something laidback and simple, a dark, sleeveless black top and khaki cargo pants, with a yellow hoodie over it and matching sneakers. Nathan found it so hot, thinking that she looked like one of their cheerleaders, that he distracted her for a few minutes, which eventually led them to being an hour and a half late to practice.

As they walked into the Los Angeles Lakers gym, Nathan watched her wring her hands and he slipped his hand into hers, interlacing their fingers. "Why are you so nervous, Hales?"

"It's just that – they're your friends, Nate."

"Lucas is my friend too, you know. I don't see you getting all nervous around him."

"That's because we both hated you at first," teased Haley.

"The keyword there is 'at first,'" said Nathan dryly. "Don't worry, baby. They'll really like you. There's nothing to be worried about."

They walked into the huge basketball gym, Haley looking around in awe. She had never been much of a sports fan, but actually being on the court itself, it certainly was something else.

"Whoa, Nate – dawg! Who is she?" A voice yelled.

A tall, bald black man approached them. "Wow, Nate – if I had a girl who looked as fine as she does, I'd be late as often as you are," he grinned at Haley, who blushed slightly. "I'm Skillz, by the way."

"Haley," she took his outstretched hand and shook it. "It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to finally meet _you_. Nathan has been constantly blabbering about you for so long, now it's like I can't hear a sentence from here that does not have your name in it." Skillz said, beaming at her.

"Is that true, Nate?" Haley asked him.

He simply shrugged but his eyes were twinkling mischievously. "I'm going to go change, alright? Call me if they start hitting on you."

There was loud laughter that rippled between all of them. Haley was introduced to Nathan's teammates one by one, and they all asked her questions like where she was from, where she met Nathan and if she watched their games. They found it quite amusing that she didn't know what the difference between a free throw and a dunk was. She liked them all, but Haley seemed to connect with Skillz the most, and he seemed to be the closest to Nathan, so she stayed with him while they watched the team practice.

"You know, Nate has always described how you look, but it's nothing compared to how you look in person. You almost look as gorgeous as my girl," he laughed at Haley's surprised face. "We've been together for more than two years now – me and Bevin."

Haley smiled at him. "Wow, two years? That's incredible."

"Yeah, well – you and Nathan are really different. He's always been talking about you nonstop – especially after that night you left him four years ago – I mean, even if Nathan was a womanizing asshole, it was always you he wanted to someday meet and be with – always you he would much rather be with than all those other chicks he got drunk and slept with…" Skillz's voice seemed to fade away, and all Haley could hear was the echoes of his words.

_It was always you he wanted to someday meet._

All those four years – he had always wanted her. Haley felt an inexplicable sense of happiness overwhelm her, and she felt tears prickle her eyes. Suddenly, she saw Nathan walking toward them, and she immediately got up and threw herself in his arms, burying her face into his chest.

"Whoa, Hales – I didn't think you'd miss me that much," joked Nathan, surprised but still he put his arms around her.

"You're amazing, Nathan," Haley whispered, pulling his head down to give him a long, deep kiss that made both of them weak. When the need of air became an issue, they pulled apart, laughing at the catcalls and whistles. "You're the only man I ever want to be with." Nathan's eyes became a shade darker, as he pulled her into his arms and kissed her senseless.

And somehow, unknown to either of them but as they kissed, they shared the same bond – the same feelings – and the same silent thought …

_I love you._

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**Your reviews would make me missing S5 feel so much better. Please review!**


	23. Home

**First of all, I want to apologize for not updating at all. I'm so, so sorry. Life got so complicated and messed up, then throw in three theses to work on plus a huge problem in my hands, so updating suddenly became the last thing on my mind. Anyway, I am now back, and I added a lot of stuff to this chapter, which was originally going to be short. Again, I'm sorry for seemingly abandoning my story.**

**I seriously want to give flowers to Mark Schwahn and his writers. Season 5 was so amazing. And is it just me, or is James Lafferty still hot even if he hasn't cut his hair or shaved? Lol. Excuse the giddy fan girl moment.**

**On with the story!**

**----Sera**

**P.S. By the way, thank you so much to ****Tutorial Girl**** for pointing out my error about Nathan being late for practice. I had no idea they gave fines for tardiness, so let's just pretend that they don't. Lol.**

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****Disclaimer: **One Tree Hill or anything concerning it, except this story, is mine. 

Haley sat on the sidelines, casually browsing through her Sidekick while she waited for Nathan to finish showering. She noticed that Brooke had left her a text message, asking if the three of them, with the men included, could hang out one weekend somewhere out of the country.

Haley had to smile. It was so typical of Brooke to arrange something like that. Brooke may be overly-bubbly and too blunt sometimes, but it was things like this that showed what a great friend she was. She made a mental note to ask Nathan later, and proceeded to browse some more.

"So you're Nathan Scott's new girlfriend?" A voice asked next to her.

Haley looked up to see a blond woman around Haley's age, smiling brightly at her. "Uh – yeah, you can call it that. I'm sorry, I don't believe we've met."

She let out a giggle, extending her hand so Haley could take it. "I'm Bevin."

_Bevin_. It sounded so familiar. Then it hit her. "You're Skillz's girlfriend?"

She nodded. "I just came to pick him up. We're going to spend the rest of the week together, you know – before their big game with the Knicks next week."

"You don't watch the games?"

"Oh, I do – just – not all the time now. It's bad for the baby." Bevin said, as she affectionately patted her stomach.

Haley's eyes widened. "You're pregnant?"

"Uh-huh – two months now. Our doctor said that traveling is still fine, but we don't want to take any risks. After all, what's a few days compared to years of being with him? And besides – all the hot phone sex is really kinky." Bevin added, smiling mischievously.

Haley resisted the urge to make a face. It sounded just like something Brooke would say. She figured Bevin and Brooke would get along great. "Uh – yeah. It is,"

"So how did you and Nathan meet? I've never seen you here before, and trust me, I know all the players' wives and girlfriends."

Haley hesitated, wondering if she should tell the truth. "We met through Lucas."

Well, it was _partly_ true.

Bevin's face brightened. "Lucas? Oh, he's a great guy. I can't believe he's going out with Brooke Davis now – haven't you heard? It's all over the news. They look so cute together, like winners of a genic lottery or something."

Haley raised a brow. "Uh, Bevin – don't you mean _genetic_?"

At first, Bevin looked at her blankly, then her face broke into a smile. "Yeah – _generic_ – that's what I meant."

Haley couldn't help but laugh. She was really starting to like Bevin. "I'm actually best friends with Brooke Davis."

"Ooh, so you must be friends with Peyton Jagielski, too! She's an amazing music producer." Bevin squealed excitedly. "Hang on, why aren't you famous?"

Sometimes Haley asked herself that. Heck, she had always asked herself that. One time – a long time ago – Haley had the choice to be a famous singer with Chris. It was something she had always wanted and pictured in her future. And now that the future was here, it was probably the last thing that could ever happen. She often wondered how her life would be like if she chose to take that path – if she would ever be as happy as she was now. "I really don't have much to be famous for, Bevin."

Bevin shrugged. "Nathan must really like you then, huh?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well – I've been here for as long as I can remember, and I've never seen Nathan bring any of his girlfriends to practice. He had loads of girlfriends – well, more of hook-ups, that kind of thing – but he has never brought a girl here and introduce her to all his friends and teammates. Like he's ashamed of them or something,"

Haley felt a small smile cross her face, much to her undoing. When she felt Bevin's curious eyes on her, she blushed and cleared her throat loudly, as if saying that she didn't want to talk about it anymore.

Unfortunately, Bevin didn't seem to get the memo, because she continued, "He must really be proud of you, huh? You two must have something really special."

_Oh, you have no idea_, thought Haley wryly as she recalled the way they really first met. "Yeah, we do – it's very special."

Suddenly, voices began to come from the locker room as Nathan and his teammates began to arrive. She spotted him instantly amongst the crowd of freakishly tall men, and he flashed a smile, making her heart flutter unexpectedly.

He walked toward her, and immediately pulled her small frame against his. "Did you miss me?"

"No – not really. I was actually having fun talking to Bevin before you so rudely interrupted," teased Haley, looking up at his intense, dark blue eyes. It was amazing how the mere meeting of their gazes could send her heart into palpitation and make her knees go weak. He had this odd effect on her – and as surreal as it was, it was addicting. She loved the way he looked at her – and she loved the feeling of it even more.

Nathan pretended to look insulted, but he was grinning slightly as he leaned down to give her a kiss on the forehead. "I'm hurt, Haley – I really am."

"Oh? And I should care why?"

"Because you wouldn't be able to have hot make-out sessions with me – and you can just imagine what a big loss that would be."

Haley pretended to take her time thinking. "You make a very good point there, Mr. Scott. You are an excellent kisser."

Nathan pressed his lips against hers, slanting it over hers so he could swiftly slip his tongue into her mouth and explore every crevice of her mouth. He loved the taste of her – like strawberries. It was dangerously addicting. "You're not so bad yourself, James."

"Save the PDA for the red carpet, man. We don't want no nasty kissing when we're around. Makes us insecure about how _we_ kiss," drawled Skillz, interrupting the both of them before Nathan could lean in for another kiss. "You two going to the party tonight?"

Nathan glanced at Haley's questioning look. He smiled at her, then at the team. "Actually – we have our own plans. I'll just see you next practice, alright? That is, if Haley lets me out of the bed early for once."

He chuckled when Haley swatted him on the shoulder as they walked out of the building. "So, Haley James – what do you think of my team?"

"I think they are awesome, Nathan. If I had teammates like them, I'd really be encouraged to shoot touchdowns," she frowned when he burst into laughter. "What's so funny?"

"Haley, it's called _baskets_, alright? Not touchdowns – or free shots – or slam throws - or any of those other really cute terms you have for basketball."

"Don't laugh at me – I'm a girl." She told him.

"I know – but it's so adorable, Hales," said Nathan, as he pulled her toward him. "Did you enjoy watching me practice?"

"I enjoyed watching your coach yelling at you to start paying attention." Haley answered, giggling.

"Well, I can't help glancing at you every now and then. Did I mention that you look hot?" He asked her.

"Only about a thousand times,"

"If I told you that you were hot again, would I get anything?"

"You get to have a kiss," she stood on tiptoes and kissed him gently, stroking his tongue with hers and reveling in the satisfaction that she made him groan and extremely aroused.

"You better stop doing that or else we would never be able to go on that date." Nathan mumbled, as he held on her arm's length.

"Where are we going, anyway?"

"Oh, you'll see." Nathan intertwined his fingers with hers as they walked towards the car.

Little did they know that there was someone watching them from behind a bush – he had been there since they arrived. He smiled, pleased at what he saw. He was going to turn their lives upside down and they had no idea what he was about to do.

* * *

"Nathan, where are we?" Haley asked, as they pulled up on the side of what seemed to be a street basketball court. "Oh Lord, not this again,"

"Very funny, Hales. C'mere," he took her small hand into his and led her to the center of the cemented portion of the grass that was supposed to be the basketball court. The basket looked very old and weak, as if it has not been used in years, and the pole holding up the basket was already brown with rust. He knelt on the cement, and traced something with his forefinger.

Haley knelt next to him, and saw the very faint outlines of his name that was etched on the cement, as if he had done it when the court was just made, but it had faded over time.

"I used to come here when things got way too rough at home – my dad was always pressuring me to be the best in basketball, if not better than the best, and he had so many affairs that it was amazing he did not end up with AIDS or something – my mom was a drug addict and alcoholic who had one rehab stint after the other. They were always fighting – always yelling at each other – throwing dishes – I used to lie awake every night and listen to them fight because I couldn't go to sleep. That was my life for twelve years – waking up in the morning and pretending everything was okay when at night – it was hell.

Then this court was built – and whenever I couldn't handle my hellhole of a house anymore, I came here and played basketball with Lucas. Basketball was my only outlet, Haley. It was the only sure thing I had so I could get out of that house and leave all that shit behind. I still came here when I was in high school – I think I spent more time here than at home and in school combined. It was my sanctuary, Hales. This was – and still is – the one place in the world where I felt I belonged – where I could pretend everything was okay and just not think about the shitty things in my life."

Haley was silent, letting him speak. Her hold on his hand tightened as she tried to picture his life as a child – how many years he suppressed all of this – suffered all those years – it was heartbreaking.

Nathan stood up, but his gaze was still firmly fixated on the ground as he spoke. "No one else but Lucas knows this place – but not even he knows how much it really means to me – and what a huge part it was in my life. Technically, it was sort of my home because – well, it was where I felt happiest and safest."

He turned to Haley, cupping her face with his hands and bringing her lips to his. Their kiss was short and sweet, but full of emotion. Suddenly, the once-cocky and proud sparkle in his eyes disappeared and was replaced with vulnerability, something Haley had never seen. "Now I can really call it home."

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**By the way, you guys – as you all know, the next chapters will definitely have M-rated Nathan and Haley smut. Now, what I want to know is that if you guys want detailed smut or simply straight-to-the-point smut. Please tell me, because it's coming sooner than you think. Please review!**


	24. We're Getting There

**Thank you all for those wonderful reviews. I was completely overwhelmed at what you all had to say. As for the smut, well – due to popular demand, it will definitely be detailed, but not in a raunchy sort of way. You'll see when it comes up. Please review!**

**----Sera**

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**Disclaimer: **I don't own a thing.

Haley and Nathan walked away from the court, his arm around her shoulder while she was pressed firmly against his side, not saying a word. Haley was practically speechless at what Nathan said awhile ago that all she could do was stare stupidly at him, as if he was speaking an entirely different language.

She was completely taken aback about what he said – about his painful, heartbreaking past and what he did to overcome it. She had no idea someone could have a past as painful as his. He had built a tough, arrogant and overly-confident exterior that had its flaws, but seemed to be unbreakable to the inside. Aside from his notorious multiple-women dating, drinking sprees and seemingly unattainable basketball success, no one knew much about Nathan Scott.

People simply assumed that he came from a wealthy family, and that he didn't talk about them much to keep their privacy, when the truth was – he had no family except Lucas. As supportive as Lucas was as a brother, he wasn't exactly the kind of family Nathan was looking for. Nathan had no one to go to home to. After a long day's practice, he had no one to talk to about how his day went, what were his plans – his thoughts – nothing. As far as Nathan was concerned, his house was simply just a really big one whose only purpose was to be a place where he could sleep.

No one knew that for almost his entire childhood, Nathan was trapped in hell in the form of his house. His parents were probably the worst kind of parents in the world – his mother was an alcoholic and a compulsive painkiller addict, and his father was a womanizing bastard who always pressured Nathan to be better than the best.

Haley could practically hear him now.

"_It's not good enough, Nathan."_

"_You'll never get a good basketball scholarship if you keep playing that way."_

"_You call that a free throw? Have I taught you nothing?"_

"_You sucked. I want you to shoot fifty free throws before you go to bed tonight."_

And the list went on and on. Haley winced at the thought of having a parent who was always pushing you, always telling you that you weren't good enough, that you'll never be good enough – that you'll never amount to anything without his help. It was ridiculously stupid and wrong.

Suddenly, she couldn't blame him for the way he turned out now. Haley realized that deep down the cocky, I-don't-give-a-damn exterior was someone who was struggling to compete with what his father always considered as "the best" – someone who was only trying to get over his past – someone who was only trying to find himself – to be truly happy. Because as painful as it sounded, it was true – perhaps Nathan only had a handful of good memories and happy times. While Haley on the other hand, may not have all the success and the money Nathan had, but with how she was raised – and how she came to be where she was now – she had it all.

She felt her eyes suddenly fill with tears and she furiously tried to blink them away.

"Hey, are you okay?" Nathan's voice asked, interrupting her thoughts.

Haley looked up, smiling softly at him. "I'm fine. So, uh – where do we go next?"

Nathan grinned back at her. "You'll see," he led her away from the car and they began to walk down the deserted but rather well-lit street. "We don't need the car. It's not that far, anyway."

They finally reached what seemed to be a huge country club. The building itself was atop a hill, overlooking a wide spread of grass – probably a golf course. The entire area was enclosed in a wired gate that was low enough to climb over, but high enough to make Haley nervous about it when Nathan suggested that they do so.

"Nate – why don't we just go through the gate? I mean, you're rich and famous. I'm sure they'll all go, 'Oh, Mr. Scott – it's you! Why don't you and your girlfriend take our penthouse suite? We'll just kick out the guy staying there right now. And here's the really rare, thousand-dollar-a-bottle champagne you want. We have plenty of that for you.'" Haley mimicked in her best male kissing-up voice.

For a while, Nathan stared at her, dumbfounded. Then he began to chuckle.

Haley playfully swatted him on his arm. "What's so funny?"

"You – and your little ushering country club manager impression. Do you know that that is _exactly_ what they tell me?"

"Great! Then let's go through the door." Haley started to move away when Nathan pulled her back.

"Now, now Haley – what would be the thrill in that?" Nathan asked teasingly, pulling her against him so he could give her a soft kiss. "Besides, I was banned from that country club a year ago because I was so drunk that I went on a screaming rampage and had dry sex with a random lady customer in the lobby."

Haley's eyes widened. "_Seriously_?"

Nathan burst out laughing. "I was just kidding, Hales. Damn, you should have totally seen your face," he paused. "But seriously, I really am banned there. I _was_ drunk, and I beat up a guy I really hated, who just so happened to be there."

She made a face. "So why here?"

"Because it's near the basketball court – and because the golf course is so huge that they won't even know we're here. C'mon," he led her to the fence, and within a minute, he was able to climb over the fence and jump down with ease. "It's not that hard, Hales."

"Easy for you to say. You're a foot taller than me!" Haley admonished.

Nathan laughed. "C'mon, Hales. I'll be right here to catch you if you fall."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

Tentatively, Haley climbed up the fence. It took her a couple minutes to get to the top and sit – rather uncomfortably, in fact – on the edge. She gazed down at Nathan, who truthfully seemed to be so small to her.

"Haley – we don't have all night you know," teased Nathan.

"Hey, I'm just appreciating the few minutes that I can say that I'm taller than you now," she told him. She took a deep breath. "Okay, I'm jumping."

She jumped, and Nathan instantly caught her in his arms, as if it was the easiest thing in the world. "See, I told you I would catch you," he gave her a tender kiss as he set her down on the ground. "Come on, we just have to walk a bit into that clearing over there."

As they walked, Haley could not help but notice the small smile on his face. "Why are you smiling?"

"I don't know – I just keep replaying it – you know, when you were mimicking the club manager awhile ago."

Haley pouted at him. "Sure, keep laughing,"

"It's not that, Hales. It's just that – I loved it when you referred to yourself as my 'girlfriend.' It just felt really great, you know?"

Haley smiled, interlacing her fingers with his, not saying another word. They finally reached what seemed to be a small hill, and on top of it was a picnic blanket, nothing else. There were no candles or roses or a serenading violinist, but to Haley, it didn't even matter.

She threw her arms around his neck. "You're one heck of a guy, Nathan Scott."

"I know," he said, grinning at her when she punched him. "I just want us to get to know each other more. There was supposed to be food, but on the last minute I remembered I was banned from the club."

Haley shook her head. "I don't care, Nathan. It doesn't even matter."

They sat on the picnic blanket, Haley seated between his legs while his arms were wrapped around her small body. She inhaled his relaxing scent, content to be in his arms. "How long have you and Luke known each other?"

"Wow, you're on a date with me and you bring up Lucas. How typical of you," said Nathan, rolling his eyes and laughing when she stuck her tongue out at him. "Lucas and I have different mothers. Luke's mom – Karen – she now lives with her husband, Keith, and the latest news I've heard was that Karen recently gave birth to Luke's little sister, Lily. I didn't get to know Luke until I was about seven or eight. We went to elementary school together. At first we really hated each other, but over time, we just grew closer and actually became brothers."

"Do you know that people simply know him as your brother?"

Nathan nodded. "Yeah. I'm just too much of an ass to do anything about it."

Haley giggled. "That's exactly what I told Luke on the first day I met him."

"You really hated me back then, didn't you?"

"Well, yeah – I did. I mean, you took my virginity. You were the reason my boyfriend and I broke up. I was pretty pissed off at you."

"It's strange, Haley. I mean, I sometimes wonder how it would be if I never went looking for you after you left – if I just let you go like what I did with other girls. Then I realize that my life would really suck if I didn't. You make me look forward to coming home." Nathan told her honestly.

She smiled at him, twisting slightly so she could give him a long, lingering kiss. She shifted some more so she was lying on top of him, and he was lying flat on the blanket. His arms went around her waist, pulling her against him so she could feel how much he wanted her. The intimate contact sent thrills up Haley's spine, making her moan into his mouth.

Suddenly, they felt droplets falling on them. They paused for a moment to look up at the sky. It was beginning to rain, and it was getting stronger by the minute.

"Should we go?" Haley asked him.

"No – it'll only make things better," he replied huskily as he pulled her to him and began kissing her again, as if it was the last night on Earth.

* * *

They were lying on Nathan's bed, arms and legs entangled as they heavily made-out for what seemed to be the twentieth time that night. It wasn't even night anymore because sunshine was already streaming through the windows.

"God, if things were any hotter for us, we would be steaming up those windows," said Nathan breathlessly, pulling away from her.

Haley couldn't help but giggle. "Okay, that was just lame."

"Mm, did you have fun on our date, Haley James?" Nathan asked her, lightly tracing circles on the small of her back, making her even more aroused than she already was. Haley was wearing nothing but his polo shirt, because they had arrived home soaking wet from the rain.

"It was certainly different –" She laid a kiss on Nathan's lips. "And certainly fun,"

"Good, because there will be a whole lot of that before we get to the _really_ good stuff," said Nathan, his hand slipping over her taut, flat stomach and cupping her breast. Haley moaned as she began to lay wet kisses on his jawline and neck. "Shit, Haley – you have no idea how turned on I am right now."

"Actually, I do," teased Haley, as her eyes drifted lower to a specific part of his anatomy.

"Yeah, it's been like that ever since we started making out again." Nathan replied, grinning at her like a hormonally imbalanced teenager.

Suddenly, Haley heard voices coming from their living room. "Nathan? Haley? Are you home?"

It was Lucas, and from the two female voices with him, he was probably with Brooke and Peyton.

Haley frowned as she called back, "Is everything okay?"

"Come here. I think you two have to see something," called Peyton.

Nathan and Haley immediately got up and went to the living room. "Hey guys, how did you get in? We didn't even hear –"

Haley's voice fell when she laid her eyes on what everyone else was looking at.

_Oh my God …_

**There you guys go! The more reviews, the sooner you find out what they were all looking at.**


	25. Don't Ever Leave

**Wow. Thank you all so much for those amazing, amazing reviews. You guys are seriously the best. Thank you! And so, without further ado, another update from yours truly … I hope you like it.**

**----Sera**

**P.S. By the way, somebody asked me what were Haley and Nathan wearing when they went to the living room. Just so we're clear, Haley was still wearing only Nathan's polo, and Nathan was only wearing basketball shorts and a shirt that he just threw on, which I forgot to mention. So I hope that clears everything up.**

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**Disclaimer: **I own nothing concerning One Tree Hill but this story.

Haley was completely stunned as she stared at what Peyton was motioning to. Her throat had run dry, and she was frozen in her spot. It took a while for her to take everything in, and she didn't realize that it had already been a couple of minutes when she felt Nathan's arms wrap around her small, quivering body.

"It's going to be okay, Hales." He whispered to her.

_Okay? __**Okay?**__It was never going to be okay._ Haley thought desperately, as she felt tears well up in her eyes.

How was it possible that only a few moments ago, she and Nathan were so happy, so carefree – lost in their own world – and now – it was like that entire world came crashing down on them. And the worse part of it all was that everyone knew. Everyone knew about them.

"If it makes you feel any better, Tutor Girl – you look really hot in this picture," said Brooke tentatively, trying to ease the slowly growing tension in the room.

No one said a word.

For a while, Haley clung to Nathan, her face buried into his chest as she tried to take in everything she saw – to calm down and handle the situation, if it was possible. When she lifted her face, she looked around.

Lucas, Brooke, Peyton, and even Jake stood in their living room, all watching her with nervous, concerned expressions on their faces. In the middle of it all was the coffee table, and on top of it were piles of every popular tabloid magazine known to mankind, each one of them with a picture of Nathan and Haley on the cover.

Still trembling slightly, Haley untangled herself from Nathan's arms and went to the coffee table, and slowly picked up the topmost one.

It was _US Weekly_, and on the glossy cover was a picture of Haley and Nathan, kissing in front of the gymnasium where Nathan usually went for basketball practice. And on the bottom were the huge, yellow words … _Nathan Scott's Secret Love Affair; the Secret Romance No One Has __**Ever**__ Known About._

Haley moved on to the next magazine that was right below the one she was holding. It had the same picture on the cover, but instead, the caption read _Nathan Scott's Big Secret: What Has He Been Hiding?_

The next one had a picture of Haley and Nathan exiting the club on their first date when they had followed Brooke and Lucas on theirs. Nathan had a regretful sort of look on his face, and Haley seemed to be highly distressed. The caption read, _Nathan's Latest Romance: On the Rocks Already?_

Shakily, Haley sat herself down on the couch, trying to make sense of it all. Was it really possible for news to spread that fast? How much did they know?

"Haley – I'm sorry – I didn't think –" Nathan began, putting an arm around her shoulders.

Haley's voice was wavering as she spoke. "How could this happen? How could everyone just find out about us like that? How is it even remotely possible for every goddamned tabloid magazine to know about us?"

"There's something else you should see," said Jake as he switched on the television.

Instantly, Ryan Seacrest's voice filled the silent room as he announced, "Just days before the Lakers' big game with the New York Knicks, Nathan Scott drops a bombshell on us all. A few months after his highly publicized break-up with supermodel girlfriend of four weeks, Monica Cruz, the basketball superstar had already gone on the rebound with this mysterious new girl that no one has ever seen or heard of. The two were first seen entering and exiting the club _Rush_ two weeks ago, but since they have not been seen together anymore after that, the tabloids decided to disregard that small piece of information.

Then, just yesterday, the two lovebirds were once again spotted, this time outside LA Staples Center, where the Lakers practice for their games. This time was no longer disregarded since they were actually seen kissing a couple of times, and even canoodling once in a while. The two seemed to be very happy and content as they walked to their car and left the area. No word yet from Nathan Scott's rep on the matter, or more importantly, who exactly is the new girl seen in the talented basketball player's arms."

"I can't believe this is happening," whispered Haley.

"How could you let this happen, Nathan? I thought you promised not to make any more headlines other than basketball until the two months were up and the article has already been published! Thanks to your stupidity, the whole world now knows that you're having some torrid secret love affair with a girl no one knows! How the hell are we going to come up with a good explanation to the press about this?! More importantly, how stupid could you possibly be to expose Haley to this – to the press, and it that way? This is the exact thing we were trying to avoid, and now you go and act like the idiot that you are and now – this happens! You signed a damned contract, Nathan! None of this should have happened!" Lucas shouted. He tried to keep his voice cool and collected, but instead, he couldn't help but raise it.

Nathan immediately stood up and leveled himself with his brother, his intense blue eyes boring deeply into his. "Lucas, I didn't mean for any of this to happen! Do you think I actually want this to happen to Haley and me?"

"I don't know. Maybe you just want the attention, as usual," said Lucas coldly, his lips curling as he sneered at him.

"You're going to regret saying that, asshole." Nathan growled as he lunged at his brother with a punch before Jake quickly stepped between them, trying to keep them apart but to no avail. Nathan pushed Jake away, and threw himself on Lucas as they both fell to the floor. Brooke tried to pull Nathan off of Lucas, while Peyton helped Jake up.

"Nathan – Lucas – stop! This is insane!" Haley shouted as she helped Brooke pull Nathan off, and once they managed to successfully do it, she pushed Nathan away. "Stop, okay? Just stop – all of this – I want it to stop. Things are bad enough already and having you two fight over something that already happened isn't going to do or solve anything."

"Luke, can't you just tell the press the truth?" Jake asked.

Before Lucas could say anything, Haley cut in, "We can't. The deal was to live with Nathan for two months and get to know more about his personal and private life _without_ exposing to the whole world what we're doing," she looked at a disheveled Nathan who was still glaring at Lucas, and she felt her eyes fill with tears. "None of it ever said that we could have a relationship."

Nathan immediately noticed that Haley was about to burst into tears. He walked towards her, his arms outstretched but she took a step back away from him. "Hales –"

"I have to be alone," she whispered, and without another word, she left.

* * *

"Tutor Girl? Are you okay?"

Haley was sitting on one of the swings in the backyard of Nathan's house, facing the huge infinity pool as she stared at its pristine blue waters. She didn't know how long she had been sitting there, or how long she had been crying, and she didn't need to look up to know that it was Brooke and Peyton.

They both sat down next to her, and immediately, Peyton put an arm around Haley's shoulders. "Talk to us, Hales."

"Do you know that I could lose my job over this?" She asked them, her words so soft that she wasn't quite sure if they heard her. "You guys, my job is all I have."

"Hales – you're not going to lose your job, okay? Maybe lose your dignity – but not your job," said Brooke brightly then pouted when Haley raised her brows at her. "Oh, c'mon Hales, you're supposed to laugh when I make a joke."

"I'm sorry Brooke, but I don't really think this is a good time to laugh."

"Haley, you're amazing at what you do, and one small mistake isn't going to take it away from you. So you decided to have some sort of romance with the subject of your article. When is that ever wrong?" Brooke asked.

"When the deal clearly said that no one should know about the interview," replied Haley. "You guys, no one is supposed to know about the interview. It's more than just an exclusive, and if word leaked out about it, it wouldn't be worth the time and effort anymore. Now that the tabloids know about Nathan and I, people might start talking and eventually, the interview is going to be known."

"You don't know that, Hales," said Peyton. "I mean, you could just invent some romantic love story with Nathan, and no one will ever know."

"You know what, P. Jagielski? That is a brilliant idea. I'm really starting to grow on you, aren't I?" Brooke remarked proudly. "You could totally make a romantic love story between you and Boy Toy – like _The Notebook_ or something! Then you can act out the really hot after-the-rain love scene they had!"

"Okay Brooke, that is just nasty." Peyton said, making a face.

Despite Haley feeling miserable, she couldn't help but laugh. "I just hope everything will work out. How are the men doing in there?"

"Bad. Jake had to sit in between Lucas and Nathan so they wouldn't pummel each other to a bloody pulp. I'm just worried that they will have to pummel Jake into a blood pulp first to get him out of the way," Peyton answered. "Before we left to look for you, Nathan and Lucas were still going at it with the fighting."

Haley sighed. "This is all my fault. None of this would have happened if I just made things between Nathan and me completely professional. Instead, he just _had_ to be really hot and a really amazing kisser, and now everything is just falling apart."

The three of them were silent for a moment.

"And you know what's the craziest part of this all? Not once – in this entire disaster – did I ever consider ending things with Nathan. In fact, it never even crossed my mind. I just felt like – we were in it together, no matter what. We were going to face it together."

"Why not?"

Haley considered her answer, as her mind looked back to everything that had happened to them for the short time span since she had moved in. "I just – I don't want us to end. I know it's only been two weeks – but I've never been happier with anyone else. I just figured that – we would get through this mess together."

* * *

"Hey. Are you alright?" Nathan asked her, as he pulled her against him so her back was leaning into his chest.

"I'm fine. I'm more worried about you and Lucas," she replied. "No matter how much you two fight, it's not going to make things any easier for us."

"I know. I'm sorry about that. It's just that – the things he says – they can be so goddamned infuriating sometimes."

"He's only trying to be your brother, Nathan. Cut him some slack, okay? He didn't want things to escalate like this, and he was just taking it out on you. Let it go," said Haley, as she turned around to wrap her arms around his neck. "We need to talk to my boss tomorrow."

"Yeah, I know. I can just imagine how fun _that_ will be," said Nathan sarcastically.

"We're in this together, right?"

"Always," he pressed a kiss to her lips. "You better go to sleep. We both have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

Nathan watched her as she crawled under the covers, and soon, her soft breathing was the only sound that could be heard in the room. He took a quick shower and changed into boxers. He crawled under the covers as well, and wrapped his arms around her waist, inhaling her scent – letting it fill in his nostrils, and immediately, he began to relax.

He had never felt more in sync with another girl before. Normally, if things got that bad with a girl, he would immediately end it, but with Haley, he didn't even consider it. In fact, it was the very last thing on his mind. Here was a woman – who finally made him happier than he could ever remember, and everything else just didn't seem to matter anymore. He felt such a strong, magnetic connection with her, and the truth was; he didn't want those two months to end.

Damn it, Nathan was in love with her. How could he possibly let her go now?

He pulled her closer to him. "Always and forever, Hales."

**I don't know. I'm not as satisfied with this chapter as I should be. Anyway, I'd still love to hear your thoughts.**


	26. Musings Between Conflict

**Thank you for all the reviews, guys. You are all amazing. There is going to be a lot of drama in the upcoming chapters, but I assure you, there will always be the Naley you guys adore.**

**Oh, and I might not be able to update in within this week or the next, mainly because school is totally driving me insane, and I need to recuperate in the very few hours that I'm not studying or doing all my theses. Also, my boyfriend is dragging me to meet his folks this weekend, and I am obviously not looking forward to the huge possibility of humiliating myself.**

**But don't worry; I'll try to have the next chapter up before this week ends. If not, expect an update early next week. Please review!**

**----Sera**

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**Disclaimer: **Nope, not Mark Schwahn.

When Haley awoke the next morning, her entire body was leaning against Nathan's, and her face was buried into his bare chest. Despite all the stress and worries she had the night before, she had slept surprisingly well, perhaps because of the comforting thought that she and Nathan would get through it together.

She was so surprised when he promised her that he would stand by her side. She was mentally preparing herself for the crushing blow when he would tell her that he wanted nothing else to do with her – that being with her was "too much drama" and that he "couldn't handle it." She was practically pacing herself when she would storm out of the bedroom, call him an insufferable asshole and maybe consider asking Mr. Turner for a different job instead. And yet, he stood there, promising her that he would be with her no matter what – that he would never leave her side – that they were in it together. What was even more surprising that as she stood there, listening to him promise all those beautiful things, she believed him. She didn't doubt what he said for a second.

Haley gazed at his handsome features – he was so chiseled, so perfect – every physical attribute was perfect, especially those incredible eyes of his – she practically melted with his piercing gaze. So often, it sparkled with mischief, arrogance – so cocky and self-assured – so confident that he would get what he wanted, when he wanted it. His eyes were so intense that it was as if, when he looked at her, she often had the strange sensation of being x-rayed, and then she would feel the butterflies because it seemed like he wanted to know everything about her. It was like his eyes were made to make every woman feel special whenever he looked at her.

But lately, those eyes were filled with something anyone rarely saw – _vulnerability_. Haley knew that Nathan was not the type to broadcast his feelings, hell – he could have gone bankrupt, and he'd still look like he was rolling in millions of dollars. Everyone just simply assumed that he was having the time of his life. No one knew Nathan Scott like she did.

Wasn't that the whole point of taking this assignment in the first place? To get to know Nathan like no one else has done before?

_But not this way. You weren't supposed to get emotionally attached. All you were supposed to do was know the very basics – if he was a downright slob, and if the rumors were true that he brought a girl home every night. Maybe you could end the thing being strictly platonic – but you were never, ever supposed to be attached to him. You were not supposed to fall in love._

Love.

It was a pretty strong and huge word for Haley. She had been in a relationship with Chris Keller for almost three years, and even the thought of saying the L-word didn't cross her mind. Sure, there were fireworks, but it didn't last long. And after they were gone, it was like Haley was just forcing herself to be in the relationship.

Besides, Chris never, ever made her feel the way Nathan made her feel.

Perhaps that was how Nathan always got the girl – because he knew exactly what to do so he could deliberately make the girl feel special – and when he got what he wanted with her, it was over. No strings attached – no problem.

And somehow, amidst all the negative thoughts, Haley still came to the surprising conclusion that she didn't care. She was throwing all caution to the wind and wearing her heart on her sleeve. She freaking loved the guy, and as far as she knew, she no longer had any control over it.

Suddenly, a deep voice interrupted her thoughts. "Are you just going to lie there staring at my lips, or are you actually going to scoot over here to give me a good-morning kiss?"

She giggled, slipping upward so she could press her lips on his. "Good morning, Nathan."

"Mm, not exactly the kind of kiss I was hoping for," mumbled Nathan, pulling her against him, and in one smooth, fluid motion, maneuvered himself on top of her, pinning her small body on the bed, and interlacing the fingers of both his hands with hers. He captured her lips with his, and smirked when she let out a soft moan, parting her lips so he could expertly deepen the kiss and explore the depths of her mouth, making her writhe beneath him. Her breasts rubbed against his bare chest, making him even harder than he already was.

But fearing that this could go way too far than Haley would want it to, he forced himself to pull away, and panting, he rolled back on his side of the bed. "Another really, really good reason to get up early in the morning,"

She laughed, running her fingers softly over his sculpted arms. "How long have you been awake?"

"Oh, a few minutes – pretty long enough to know you were fantasizing about me. Don't worry Hales, this hot body isn't going anywhere." Nathan teased, smirking when she blushed slightly.

"I guess when God was thinking of the word 'conceited,' He made you," said Haley, rolling her eyes at him. She glanced at the clock on his bedside table. "Shouldn't we be getting up right about now?"

Nathan buried his face into her neck, planting a kiss on the back of her shoulder. "No. I love being with you – like this. I forget the rest of the world."

"I do, too," admitted Haley, unable to ignore the giddiness sweeping through her, but she forced the thought out of her mind, and instead, tried to focus on the situation at hand. "But we really have to start getting ready now."

He sighed. "Do we have to?"

She smiled apologetically at him. "Why don't you go ahead and take a shower? I'll go see if we have some leftovers we could reheat in the microwave or something."

Nathan nodded as he got out of bed. He yawned widely and stretched, in the hope of chasing away the sleep. He grinned appreciatively when he watched Haley get out of bed, wearing nothing but the cute, two-sizes smaller tank top and pajama bottom that hung low on her waist, so he could get a good look of not only her taut, flat stomach, but also an ample view of her cleavage. Her blond waves were slightly messy as they fell over her shoulders. God, Haley had no idea how incredibly beautiful and sexy she was.

"You sure you don't want to join me in the shower, Hales? It's pretty big, and it could get pretty lonely in there," teased Nathan, winking at her.

Haley laughed, riding on. "I'm sorry, but I don't really enjoy cold showers."

"Well, you could have the hot shower –" began Nathan, smirking at her. "As long as I get to watch you have it."

"Down boy," said Haley, rolling her eyes once more. "I'll see you in the kitchen."

As she walked away, she found herself unable to remove the huge smile plastered on her face.

* * *

Despite all their flirtatious banter, Haley couldn't help but be nervous about facing her boss. She had no idea what to expect from him. Haley had never done anything remotely bad enough for her to be nervous when she met up with him, and now – she couldn't help but worry about what he was going to say – or worse, what he was going to do.

Nathan had chosen the sleek, black and inconspicuous Sedan that had darkly tinted windows so no one could suspect that it was them. Thankfully, it was still too early in the day for any paparazzi to be hanging outside his house, waiting eagerly for answers that will never come.

He squeezed her hand, trying to reassure her. "It's going to be okay, Hales."

She merely nodded in reply, seemingly too lost in her thoughts and worries to say something. Her gaze was fixated outside – specifically on a newsstand which probably carried every magazine and newspaper that all had one thing in common – the both of them their main headline.

Haley had never felt more nervous in her entire life.

Nathan made a move to take his hand back so he could steer the wheel, but she suddenly whispered, "No, Nathan. Don't let go. Don't ever let go."

He nodded, understanding the double-meaning of her words. "I'm never going to, Hales."

-

"He'll be with you in a moment," said Liz, Mr. Turner's secretary, as she ushered the couple into his office. Before leaving the room, she momentarily glanced at Nathan, then her gaze shifted to Haley, her brows slightly raised, and disappeared.

"I never really liked her," muttered Haley in distaste.

To anyone who didn't actually know the situation, Nathan and Haley wore the expressions of a young, teenaged couple, holding hands and waiting in bated breath the result of Haley's pregnancy test, and hoping to God that she wasn't pregnant.

Because that was exactly how they felt.

They were both hoping Haley wouldn't lose her job – but most of all, hoping that everything was going to be okay.

Mr. Turner walked in, a grim expression on his face. He surveyed the anxious couple for a moment, then after he cleared his throat, said, "I honestly don't know what to say to the both of you."

Haley opened her mouth to say something, but the look in her boss' eyes made her think twice.

He continued, "I don't know what to say because I don't know how I should feel about this whole thing. Nathan, I've always respected and admired you and your accomplishments, despite your shortcomings, and I will always appreciate the fact that you agreed to have that article with us," he turned to Haley next. "And you, Haley – I've always looked at you with great respect and high esteem. You were always reliable and efficient, and you are easily the best copywriter I've ever hired.

"I honestly did not see this coming. I mean, sure – I expected flirting between the both of you – maybe if you slept with each other a few times –" Both Nathan and Haley deliberately coughed at this point. "I mean, you're both good-looking people – stuck in a house together – sex was bound to happen. If you ask me, I actually think Haley needs it."

Nathan could not help but snort with laughter at this point, but immediately desisted when Haley glared at him,

"The thing is – what I did not expect was an actual relationship – a real, tangible one. And what I really did not expect was that it leaked to the press. How could you let this happen, Haley? You do know that once that article comes out, and everyone sees your name on it, no one will believe one good thing you say about Nathan? You will lose your credibility as a writer, Haley. People will think that the only reason you are saying nice things about Nathan is because you're seeing him.

And another thing, don't you think people will question the real reason why you're with Nathan? That maybe – just maybe – you're using his fame and popularity as a springboard to launch your own career as a writer? How could you possibly explain to them how you met? You cannot tell them about the article now. It's too soon – and people are going to wonder and ask how in the hell did Nathan Scott meet an ordinary woman that no one even knows. Can you tell me that, Haley? How can you solve this now? Surely, I cannot stop you from having this relationship, but how can you let this happen, Haley? You've lived with the man for only almost three weeks, and this – this _mess_ happens."

All throughout the time that Mr. Turner was speaking, Nathan was watching Haley, and he could practically hear his heart aching when he saw the guilty, ashamed face of the woman he loved – she was almost in tears. "With all due respect sir, none of this is Haley's fault."

"Excuse me?"

"Sir, Haley came into my house, fully intent on having a strictly professional – if not platonic – relationship, but I wanted something much more than that. Sir, I don't think anyone in the world – anyone out there – would ever truly understand what Haley and I have. Sir, to be quite honest with you, I only agreed to this newspaper because she worked here. We have a past sir, and it was something Haley was deeply ashamed of, but I somehow convinced her otherwise. I agreed to this article, in the hope of having a relationship with Haley, but I did not expect it to blow up in my face. So with all due respect sir, none of this is Haley's fault, and if there's anyone to blame, it's me. Whether you want to believe me or not, I deeply care about Haley, and I assure you, I did not want for this to happen to her – to the both of us. But now that it has, I will stand by her until this whole thing dies down." Nathan said, eying Mr. Turner straight in the eye as he spoke.

His audience was shocked, as they both stared at him in amazement.

"And as for the part when you said that people were going to wonder how we met, we could just invent some story on how we supposedly 'met' and take it from there. It doesn't take much for them to believe it, sir."

An awkward silence hung in the room, and after a few seconds, Mr. Turner nodded. "Just as long as no one finds out about that interview, you two do not need to come here until the two months are up."

Nathan stood up to leave, Haley following suit, but Mr. Turner stopped her. She gazed at him questioningly.

"He must really love you, Haley."

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**Reviews would be lovely.**


	27. I'll Make You Love Me

**Hi guys. As I promised, this is the chapter that I was supposed to upload last weekend and earlier this week, but I uploaded it today. I'm sorry for the delay. Life is, as always, hectic. Thank you to those who wished me luck when I met the "folks." I seriously needed it. But more importantly, thank you for all those who reviewed. They do wonders for a girl's motivation.**

**----Sera**

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**Disclaimer: **Still don't own a thing.

_He must really love you, Haley._

Did he? Did Nathan really love her?

It was impossible. He couldn't possibly have any feelings for Haley. Mr. Turner didn't know a thing of what was really going on in that house. Sure, they had those unnerving, completely-random "moments" but it was nothing like love. It wasn't love at all.

And yet, a small part of her wished that her boss' words were true.

Hell, who was she kidding? Every part of her wanted it to be true! What woman in her right mind would not want a man she loved to love her back?

When he was Nathan Scott, of course.

Because the truth was, Haley was afraid to get hurt again. She knew about his reputation, and she knew why he did it, but she didn't want to open up to him completely. Despite all his promises, the over-complicated and cautious part of her couldn't just shake off the feeling that he would just hurt her in the end. And she knew what that end was – the end of their two months together.

What was going to happen then?

Haley was so deep in her thoughts that she didn't realize that they were already back in the car – the awkward silence of their car. She wasn't exactly sure if Nathan heard what Mr. Turner had said, and she certainly hoped he didn't. Things were as bad enough as they already were.

She felt the comforting warmth of Nathan's hand over hers, and felt the tension easing already. "Nate – thank you, so much – for you know, back there – what you said. It – it means a lot."

Nathan smiled as he absentmindedly rubbed his thumb over her soft but cold skin, making her shiver at the simple contact. He didn't say anything else, and instead, he pulled her closer for a tender kiss. He slid one hand to her nape so he could cradle her head, and gently brushed his lips against hers. She let out a soft moan of his name, her arm wrapping itself around his neck, while her other arm pulled him even closer by the collar of his shirt. She parted her lips to give him access but before he could even get to it, his cell phone began to ring loudly.

Muttering an expletive, Nathan pulled away and dug into his jeans' pocket for his phone. When he saw Lucas' name flashing on the screen, he quickly answered it. "Talk to me, Luke."

"Don't go home," was his brother's automatic response.

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Look, I was just driving on my way there, and there is a huge – no, not huge – really, _really_ huge crowd of paparazzi people and probably a good number of furious women who are supposedly in love with you right outside your front gate." Lucas explained.

"Shit," he murmured. "How long have they been there?"

"I don't know – maybe an hour or so. They've completely blocked the highway, and the police aren't even here yet to get the traffic going smoothly. I'm approximately twenty meters away from your house, and I've been stuck here for almost an hour."

"I'm sorry, man. Where do you think should we go now?"

"Go to Brooke's apartment. I've already called her, and she's cool with it. Haley will just give you instructions on how to get there. I'll see you guys in two hours or so."

"'Bye Luke,"

When he pocketed his cell phone again, Haley was looking at him questioningly. "What's going on?"

"We have to go to Brooke's house instead. There's a huge commotion back home, and we have to go somewhere else until the crowds thin," answered Nathan brusquely. He noticed how her face fell when she heard what he had to say. He knew that all this was completely foreign to her, and it took a very long time to get used to being followed. Heck, even until now, Nathan _still_ wasn't used to it. "You want to talk to me about what you're thinking, Hales?"

"I was just thinking about what my boss said – about me losing my credibility as a writer. I mean, how many people are going to believe what I wrote about you? How do they know I didn't just write all those nice, wonderful things about you because we're dating?" Haley asked worriedly.

Nathan couldn't help but smirk. "I'm always nice and wonderful, Haley."

She rolled her eyes at him. "You and your ego – they always go hand in hand, don't they?" However, she smiled at him and squeezed his hand. There was a comforting ease between them now, something that made Haley feel safe. With everything crashing down around them, Haley felt as though she could trust Nathan – feel safer with him – even if she was falling in deeper than she thought.

He planted a quick kiss on her lips, then started the engine of the car. "Come on, we'd better go before the spawn of the devil gets worried."

Haley raised a brow at him, amused. "Why can't you learn to like Brooke? Lucas likes her."

"That's just it – _Lucas_ likes her. I'm nothing like Lucas," huffed Nathan. "Besides, the spawn of the devil locked us up in that room with no food. I was hungry."

She laughed. "Nathan – that's not a very good reason why you don't like her."

"She looked us up in a _room_ Haley – with no food! She barred the doors with furniture. And she calls me 'Boy Toy.' I mean, what other nicknames does she call me behind my back? Mark my words, Haley – that woman is twisted – she has plans for us – I'm telling you. Maybe the next thing she'll do is ship us to Katmandu so we could 'get away from the paparazzi' or something. " Nathan warned darkly.

Haley rolled her eyes. "You're insane."

He shook his head in disagreement. "How did you find it in yourselves to be friends? You, Peyton and Devil Spawn couldn't be any more different."

She shrugged. "I actually don't know. We may be different, but there was something there – we just clicked, and that was it. We may have our little petty fights, but we somehow find a way to make it work. I could never have found better friends than them," she paused. "What about you?"

Nathan was quiet for awhile. "I don't know – I don't have many friends to compare to yours. There's Skillz, and an old high school friend named Tim – I actually don't know where he is now – he's this really goofy guy who practically worshipped the air I breathed – but I guess the guy who came closest to your friends is Lucas. I could talk to him about anything."

Haley smiled. "Even me?"

He grinned back at her. "Especially you,"

She nodded thoughtfully. "All the more to get Lucas drunk,"

Nathan laughed. "That'll be the day – I've _never_ seen him drunk – not once."

Haley looked surprised. "Seriously?"

"Well, he drinks – but the dude knows his limit. It's annoying, actually. There's no embarrassing blackmail I know about him," He said, rolling his eyes. "Except this one time I hid his laptop from him because he didn't want to come barhopping with me – and he went completely mental at me. He turned the entire house inside out, and he kept swearing at me. He was nearly in tears when after searching for it all night and he couldn't find it."

She burst out laughing. "Now that's something I would've loved to see," she grinned. "I know way too much embarrassing blackmail of Peyton and Brooke. But whatever – I love my friends all the same."

"So am I your friend?"

"Well – yeah."

He set his intense blue eyes directly at her as he spoke. "So does that mean you love me, too?"

Haley was stunned and quickly looked the other way. Her heart was beating a mile a minute with what he just said. Nathan said the L-word – right to her face. She didn't know if she should be happy, giddy, scared or worried. It elicited so many confusing thoughts into her head at once that it made her temples throb. What he said could have meant anything – and truthfully, Haley was afraid of what it really meant to him. She was even more terrified of the possibility that he could really – as in _really_ love you.

_I don't want to get hurt._

A few more minutes of awkward silence, they finally arrived at Brooke's apartment. Thankfully, the streets weren't as crowded as usual, and they were able to get out of the car and into the apartment building without attracting attention.

They were ushered into the apartment by Jake, to whom Haley gave a small, grateful smile. Nathan bumped fists with him, and followed Haley into the huge, black-and-white themed living room, looking around and admiring what he saw.

Brooke and Peyton joined them, both giving Haley a hug.

"Hey, Tutor Girl. Are you okay?" Brooke asked her best friend worriedly.

Haley smiled wanly but said nothing. Peyton's green eyes shifted between Nathan and Haley, noticing how they looked so uncomfortable, and guessed that something had happened between them. She decided to talk to her friends later when the three of them were alone later on.

"You guys want something to drink?" Jake asked them.

Haley shook her head, avoiding Nathan's scrutinizing eyes, afraid that she might break down with his gaze. "I actually have a headache right now. I think I'm coming down with something. Brooke, is there a spare bedroom where I can go to sleep for awhile?"

"Uh – yeah. You can take Luke's bedroom down the hall – the second room to the left. Do you want Tylenol or something?"

"No. I'm just going to lay this one out for awhile. Thanks, you guys." And with that, Haley left them.

Nathan mumbled something about wanting a bottle of water, while Peyton suggested that they start brainstorming about the story Nathan and Haley were going to tell the press while waiting for Lucas to arrive.

He didn't like the look in Haley's eyes when he said what he said in the car. It was almost like she didn't want him to say it – like it was the last thing she wanted him to say. Truthfully, Nathan meant what he said – he wanted her to love him back – and it completely crushed him when he saw her facial expression. Nathan wanted to punch the wall in anger and frustration.

_I'm going to make her love me._

Nathan didn't know how he was going to it, but he was sure of one thing – he was going to make the remaining weeks of those two months worthwhile – he was going to sweep her off her feet.

**Again, I'm not too happy with this chapter, but I promise the next will be better. This chapter is just sort of a filler for a longer, much better chapter. Please review!**


	28. On Lucas' Bed

**Hi guys. I finally finished writing this chapter last night, and found the time to upload it today. Enjoy, and please review! Thanks.**

**----Sera**

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**Disclaimer: **If I owned One Tree Hill, that bitch Carrie would **die**.

_Haley was seated in one of the more secluded seats of the café, staring off into space, while her two best friends talked and chatted nonstop in front of her. She had too many thoughts crowding her mind – the unpaid electric bill, her rent, groceries, the three articles she should've started editing and – God forbid, Nathan Scott._

_How was it even possible that just the thought of his name could already send shivers down her spine? It had been two months she had that fateful encounter with him, and there were times – quite a good number of times – that she thought of him, and boy, did it scare her. Honestly, Haley wanted nothing else to do with the bastard who not only took her virginity, but wrecked her relationship with Chris._

_The only problem was – he was everywhere. Literally. His devastatingly handsome face was plastered on every billboard ad, commercial, celebrity magazine cover and newspaper headline that Haley laid her eyes on and it was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. Heck, it was even more difficult to keep it a secret from her best friends. They suspected too much already._

"_Hello – Tutor Girl? Are you okay?" Brooke suddenly asked her._

_Haley looked up. Her eyes darted between her two best friends' concerned faces, and with a deep breath, decided to tell them the truth. It wasn't fair that she didn't tell them the real reason why a well-over-a-year-long relationship would suddenly end just because "it wasn't working out." She hated lying to them. She knew they deserved more than the truth, and hoped they would understand._

"_I have to tell you guys something," began Haley._

"_Oh my God, Hales – are you pregnant?" Brooke gasped, then yelped in pain when Peyton jabbed her with her elbow. "What? She could've done the deed with Lame-Ass Guitar Boy, and she just didn't tell us yet."_

"_Brooke, you know how Haley is with the whole sex-before-marriage thing. She won't give in unless it's with the right guy at the right time and for the right reasons."_

_Brooke rolled her eyes. "I know that lecture. But how do you know that Haley hasn't already realized that Chris is 'the one' and she has already given it to him? Maybe they already had the right reasons at the right time, and he's actually the right guy. I mean, she let him wait for almost three years. Don't you think that of all guys she knows, she'd give it to him?"_

"_Guys, I'm right here you know." Haley said, coughing loudly to interrupt their bickering. If their argument had continued, they could have noticed Haley was squirming uncomfortably in her seat with every comeback the other had._

"_Oh, right – sorry about that. You wanted to tell us something, Hales?" Peyton asked._

"_I'm not –" Haley paused, trying to calm herself down. She couldn't understand why she was so worried about telling her friends. She told them everything, and yet right now seemed all the difference. To Haley, it was a very big deal. When she opened her mouth to speak, her voice was so tiny that she herself barely heard it._

"_Didn't catch that, girlie," said Brooke brightly. "Say it again."_

"_I'm not a –" Her voice was even tinier this time, and Peyton was already furrowing her brows in confusion._

"_You're not a what?"_

_Sighing loudly, Haley blurted it out. "I'm not a virgin anymore!"_

_At first, her friends were staring at her with their jaws dropped, then Brooke's pretty face broke into a huge smile as she sing-songed, "I win, P. Sawyer! See, I told you that she and Lame-ass Guitar Boy would do the deed!"_

_Peyton rolled her eyes. "Since when, Haley?"_

"_Um – two months ago," replied Haley softly, not quite meeting their eyes._

"_Two months?! You've had sex with Chris two months ago and you only tell us now?!" Brooke screamed._

_Haley's eyes widened and hissed, "Brooke! People can hear you!" She lowered her voice and moved closer so she was sure that only her friends heard her. "I didn't have sex with Chris."_

_Brooke suddenly gasped. "What? Oh my God, did you, sweet and innocent Haley James, have totally hot and random drunk sex with a complete stranger?!"_

"_Brooke! Haley wouldn't do that! Especially to a random guy she met in a bar –" Peyton hesitated. "R-right, Haley?"_

_Haley hung her head and slowly shook her head._

"_Oh my God! Haley! Do you even know who the guy is?"_

_This time, she nodded in reply, but was still unable to lift her head up. Her voice was quivering but there was no mistaking that name. "Nathan Scott."_

A sudden creak of the bedroom door interrupted Haley's thoughts, and she turned around to see Peyton standing in front of her. "Are you okay, Hales? You seemed pretty bothered awhile ago."

Haley sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. "I'm fine, Peyton. It's just what Nathan said in the car that was bothering me."

"What did he say?"

"He told me he loved me."

Peyton's green eyes widened. "He _told_ you he loved you?"

"Well, not really. One minute, we're talking about you and Brooke, and the next minute, he's asking me if I loved him 'as a friend.' I don't know what he meant by it! I was so shocked that I just stared at him like a complete idiot, then turned around and ignored him for the rest of the car ride!" Haley cried hysterically.

"Don't you think you're overreacting a bit? I mean, he asked you if you loved him as a friend. It's not something to over-complicate, Haley." Peyton said.

"But you should've seen how he was looking at me, Peyton! It was so different – like he meant something entirely different than what he said!"

"Okay, so let's assume for one second that he really meant to say he loved you. Why is that so wrong?"

"It's not."

"Then why are you so freaked out and worked up about this?"

"Because!"

"Because what Haley?"

When Haley turned to Peyton, there were tears brimming in her eyes. "Because I love him – and I'm scared to death of what happens if I do. I have never felt this way for a guy before, and here comes the one guy I once hoped that I would never see again, and he sweeps me off my feet and makes me feel things I thought I would never feel! He makes me feel happy – desired – complete! And I know how insane it is to love a man I have only known for less than a month, but I do – and it freaks me out because I have always been the cautious, rational one, and I have always thought before I acted. I don't want to be vulnerable to pain, Peyton. What happens after these two months with him? Where does it leave me?"

Her best friend pulled her into a long hug. "Haley, you can't look forward to the end of those two months like that, or else you'll never be happy with him now. You'll always be walking on eggshells, worried that he'll leave you, or cheat on you, or ultimately just break your heart in the end. You'll always be overanalyzing every sweet thing he tells you, and you'll never enjoy the time you have together," said Peyton. "Life is about taking risks, Hales, and being with Nathan Scott is a huge risk. But do you remember a time that you were this happy with another man?"

Haley shook her head.

"Look, I don't want to see you hurt, but if you keep thinking about it this way, you'll never enjoy what you have with Nathan now. What's love without a little risk?"

Haley was quiet for a few minutes as she pondered on what Peyton said. "You're right, Peyt – I just –"

Suddenly, a voice interrupted them. "Hales? Can we talk?"

It was Nathan. He was just about step inside, but he saw Peyton seated on the bed. "Er – am I interrupting something?"

Peyton shot Haley a warning look. "No, you're not. I was just about to leave, anyway. Feel better, Hales."

Haley's back was turned to Nathan, and she was glad that he didn't see the expression of utter concern on her face, hoping to God that Nathan heard nothing of her previous conversation with Peyton. He had turned up out of nowhere, and for all she knew, he could've stood in the doorway once they began to talk.

Nathan waited for Peyton to cross the room, and once she was gone, he shut the door behind her and sat on the edge of the bed next to Haley, taking her cold hand in his and pressing his lips softly on her palm, making her shiver at the contact. "You've been here all day. Are you sure you're feeling alright?"

She nodded. "Why is everyone asking me how I'm feeling? I'm _fine_. I just needed to get some sleep."

"Well, now that you have – how about you help me stay awake?" Nathan smirked at her in such a sexy way that Haley's breath caught in her throat. He pulled her into his arms and began to kiss her senseless. His tongue lightly traced the outline of her lips, making her arch into his chest. She parted her lips and welcomed him by stroking his tongue with hers. Groaning, Nathan gently pushed her down on the bed so he was lying on top of her and that she could feel his growing arousal pressing on her center. The intimate contact sent shockwaves through the both of them, only heightening their passion even more.

A growing feeling of desperation was gnawing at Haley's insides. Even fully-clothed, she could feel him everywhere – feel the electricity of his touch when his skin lightly grazed over hers, the sizzle when his lips nibbled on her sensitive skin, the dizzying lust when his tongue laved the spot that he previously kissed. It wasn't only in one area – it was everywhere. And God, did it feel so – it felt so fucking _good_.

When Nathan kissed her, it was like the rest of the world was gone and all that mattered was the sensations that were coursing through her veins. It was one kiss on the lips, and it was like the kiss was on every inch of her body. It was an incredible feeling that brought Haley to the peak of her senses. She wanted him to know how much she wanted him – how much she wanted him to feel the same way she did whenever they kissed.

Haley was completely new to this, and Nathan, on the other hand, had far more experience to last them both a lifetime. All of a sudden, she was aware of how inexperienced she was, and was worried that she didn't satisfy him as much he did her. He began to nibble on her earlobe, making her arch her neck and moan his name loudly. His lips moved to her neck, letting his lips and teeth enjoy every inch of her creamy skin. Her blunt fingernails ran through his buzz cut, letting it gently scrape his scalp, and moved lower to his shoulder blades.

She pulled away breathlessly. "Nate –"

He gazed at her, his blue orbs peering beneath heavy-lidded eyelids, his breath coming in short, quick pants. "Yeah?"

She hesitated. "Does this – this whole thing – feel right to you – right now?"

He smiled at her, getting lost in her beautiful doe-like eyes and immediately realized what she was thinking. He pressed a kiss on her lips. "You're amazing, Haley. You make me feel things I have never felt before. Trust me, you are doing everything right."

She bit her lip nervously, still unsure. As much as she wanted to believe him, she couldn't ignore the insecurity of always having to live up to the hordes of women he had been with before her. No matter how much she wanted him, it didn't feel right. They had so much to talk about, and she couldn't postpone it by kissing him. She gently pushed him off her so they were both lying side by side on the bed. "What happened awhile ago?"

"Well, we talked it over – and we finally decided on a story we could tell the press. Are you alright with an interview tomorrow? We could set things straight."

_Set things straight_. To Haley, it sounded like something your lover would say to make amends for cheating on you. Somehow, it just didn't sound right. But if they didn't do it now, Nathan would go into his basketball game would controversy hovering over him, and it was not something he needed. "Sounds good to me,"

"Good. Look, there's nothing to be nervous about it, Hales. I'll be there with you – and don't worry, I won't be jumping on anyone's yellow couch or something." Nathan joked, grinning at her.

Haley needed to feel his warmth again. Somehow, it calmed her down. She curled up against his side, letting his arm drape over her shoulders, and his hand gently stroke her arm. He planted a kiss on the top of her head. "We promised to be in this together, Hales, and we will. I'll always be with you. Always and forever,"

"Always and forever," repeated Haley softly.

His words brought shivers down her spine, and her heart raced at the thought. She rolled on top of him and began to kiss him senseless once more, reveling in his sudden erection pressing into her. He pulled away, breathless. "You do know this is Lucas' bed, right?"

She pressed a finger on his lips, giggling. "Let's just not tell him."

**I hope you enjoyed that. The next chapter is going to be very, **_**very**_** interesting, and Naley will be put in some uncomfortable situations that you guys might just like. Please review, and when you do, please tell me also who would you like to interview them. Thanks!**


	29. The Interview

**After much careful consideration, I decided that Ryan Seacrest should do the interview, mainly because he has the charisma to do it. For story purposes, let's just assume he has his own talk show. This chapter is going to be quite a talky chapter, since most of it is going to be the interview itself.**

**So anyway, please review!**

**----Sera**

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**Disclaimer: **Still don't own One Tree Hill. Carrie hasn't died yet, has she?

Haley sat on the plush beige-colored couch, the spotlight nearly blinding her. She tried to remain as patient and as gracious as possible while makeup artists surrounded her, pulling her hair, placing all sorts of goop on her face and gushing how gorgeous she was in person. Somehow, amidst all the chaos, she could sense Nathan's comforting presence next to her, and wished he would move closer.

Even with the thought of him being with her all throughout the interview, Haley had never been more nervous than she was now. When the circle of makeup artists left her, she squinted and tried to look at the faceless audience seated in front of her. It was unnerving – how before all of this, she could be one of these people – thriving on the lives of people they didn't even really now – and now, she was on the other side of the fence.

He and Nathan had practiced their "story" over and over last night until she was sure she got all the facts straight, but now that she was actually here, she could feel her previous confidence slowly waning. She felt Nathan press his lips on her temple, his arm going over her shoulders and pulling her to him. "You ready, Hales?"

"No," whispered Haley. "I can't do this, Nathan."

"Yes, you can. I'll be with you all the way, and we've gone over this a number of times last night. It's going to be fine." Nathan reassured her.

They both heard the head camera man shout that they were on in ten seconds, and on cue, Ryan Seacrest walked on set, taking a seat on the other couch across them. He smiled warmly at Haley, and she immediately felt her tense shoulders ease. He had a strange, welcoming aura about him that made Haley feel slightly better about the whole thing.

Suddenly, music started to play from out of nowhere, and the audience was on their feet, clapping and shouting enthusiastically. "We are back and here with me right now is basketball superstar and two-time MVP winner Nathan Scott, and his very lovely girlfriend, Haley James. Welcome to the show," smiled Ryan, as he shook Nathan's hand, and gave Haley a peck on the cheek.

"Thanks, Ryan. It's great to be here." Nathan replied, giving the audience a charming smile, making most of the women shout enthusiastically.

"So Haley, tell us more about yourself."

Haley smiled graciously at him, interlacing her fingers with Nathan's as she began to speak. "I'm a small-town girl, Ryan. I grew up in Tree Hill, North Carolina with my two best friends who, ironically, are Brooke Davis and Peyton Jagielski."

Ryan looked at her with surprise. "Really? I – well, probably no one had an idea."

Her smile widened, her whole face lighting up all of a sudden as she slowly got used to speaking to him, as if it they were the only three people in the room. "Yes, we grew up together, and we even went to the same university."

"So why the different paths? I mean, Peyton is in the music business, and Brooke is in the fashion industry – what about you? What do you do?"

Haley cast Nathan a careful look, and he gave her a small nod to urge her to go on. She turned back to Ryan and answered, "I'm also in the music business. Right now, Peyton is helping me with my songs, and she's actually thinking of producing a very tentative album."

"Well, what about before that? What did you do?"

"I actually worked in a small record shop back in Tree Hill. I – uh, moved back there after college."

Ryan eyed her in a rather perplexed manner. "Why? You could have easily found a job here. Your two best friends are here, and yet you chose to go back. Why?"

She bit her lower lip, hesitating – trying to get the right words in her head. "I needed to go back to my roots. When I went to college, I majored in Music, and you're right – I could have easily gotten a job here, but I wanted to go back home – try to find myself, and the inspiration I needed."

Ryan then turned to Nathan and asked him, "So Nathan, how do you fit in to all of this?"

Nathan smiled again, pulling Haley even closer into his side. "We're old friends. We actually met two years ago. I was out with friends and my brother Lucas, and incidentally, Haley and her friends were there. Brooke's business was already starting to gain attention, and she got acquainted with Lucas. That's how I met Haley."

"So did you start going out then? Because as we all distinctly remember, you were dating quite a large number of women back then," said Ryan.

Haley felt Nathan's body stiffen slightly next to her, but he smiled so good-naturedly that it was quite possible that no one knew Nathan was feeling uncomfortable already. "Well, no. We were just acquaintances then, but there was no denying that I was attracted to her, and I'm pretty sure she felt the same way, if not more, about me." He smirked at her.

Haley rolled her eyes and laughed. "It was a mutual thing, Ryan."

"Did you ask her on a date?"

"I didn't – Haley was really different from other women, and the truth is, I was feeling a bit nervous and intimidated around her. She was smart, funny, and witty and she challenged me – something no other woman ever did. Even if she went back to Tree Hill a few days after we met, we remained friends." Nathan explained.

"So all throughout those two years, you were long-distance friends?"

Haley nodded. "Yes, you can call it that. Throughout that time span, I got to know Nathan in so many ways that I doubt other people even know. I saw what an amazing man he is – how much he loves what he does, and how dedicated he is to the game. It's something you just have to be proud of, you know?"

When her gaze met Nathan's, it was so intense that Haley had to look away immediately. She felt like she was being x-rayed. Fortunately, no one else seemed to notice it as Ryan continued, "So what brings you to now?"

"Well, a few months ago, Haley called me and told me that she was moving to Los Angeles to pursue her musical career, and a few days after she was settled in, I finally found the courage to ask her out. We've been seeing each other ever since." Nathan explained, kissing the back of Haley's hand.

"Haley, what was your reaction when he asked you out?"

"It was funny, because I was really expecting a huge hug and maybe a 'How have you been?' somewhere in there, but the moment we were able to stand in front of each other, he just blurted it out right then and there. I was so shocked that I stared at him stupidly for like – five minutes or so, and he was just standing there, wringing his fingers and looking as nervous as hell. I never thought I would see that face on cocky Nathan Scott."

"So you said 'yes' right away?"

"Luckily for him, I found it amusing and agreed."

She laughed so pleasantly and convincingly that it was as if it really happened, and they were reliving it. Nathan felt his heart lurch; knowing fully that he wished every word was true. He wanted nothing but to have that kind of relationship with Haley – and not something that they just made up because it was too complicated.

"So how was your first date like?"

Haley laughed, linking her arm with Nathan's. "Oh, God – I don't know if I could explain it without giggling and ruining the whole thing."

Nathan pretended to be offended. "Hey, it wasn't _that_ bad."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Trust me Ryan, it _was_. He invited me over to his place and we were supposed to watch this DVD. We spent probably two hours arguing over what movie to watch, and when we actually got down to watching it, we spent more than half of the movie arguing about how stupid or good it was. And _God_, the food, Ryan – it might have been good if he hadn't left it in the oven too long. He didn't even really cook it – all he had to do was put in the oven and it got burnt."

"Hey, the chicken burning was not my fault – I had the cook preset it and it was on the wrong time," interrupted Nathan defensively.

"Sure it was – anyway, we finally stopped arguing and we were actually watching the movie when I looked over to him and he was asleep! He fell asleep halfway through a movie _he_ chose, and on our first date." Haley said, raising her brow at Nathan.

"I was tired! We practiced all day!" Nathan complained. "She doesn't even explain my side in all of this."

Ryan laughed. "That was hell of a first date. So what made you decide to go on a second date?"

"It was actually the first date in my life where I had fun. It may have been a disaster in the making, but it was fun – and I saw Nathan in the must human and normal way possible that night. It was probably the most fun date I've ever been on." Haley answered, resting her head on his shoulder.

Ryan turned to the audience. "You've heard how they met, and their chaotic first date. Stay tuned because when we come back, we are exposing the more intimate parts of the relationship that shocked the world. We'll be right back."

He turned back to the couple and smiled. "I'll be backstage for awhile. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

As soon as Ryan was gone and the stage lights dimmed, Nathan immediately pulled Haley to him, pressing a kiss on her lips. "See, I told you this wasn't too bad."

"You're right – I'm having a lot of fun." Haley said, kissing him back.

"Yeah, I bet telling the whole world what a loser I am is real fun," complained Nathan.

She laughed, pulling his head to hers. "It really is," she kissed him again, nipping at his bottom lip teasingly.

He pulled back, groaning. "You're making me wish we're all alone here, Haley."

Suddenly, they heard the voice of the head camera man announce that the show was back on in fifteen seconds. The lights of the stage immediately brightened and Ryan quickly sat back on his seat. The red light near the studio door flashed and taking it as his cue, he said, "Welcome back to the show, and still with me are Nathan Scott and Haley James. Thank you again for being here."

They both smiled back at him in reply.

"Nathan – you've been through the in's and out's of this industry, and you've probably seen everything. You were barhopping, getting drunk and leaving the clubs with a different woman latched on your arm every night, and you seemed to be having the time of your life. What made you decide to just drop that old lifestyle you had to be with Haley?" Ryan asked.

He hesitated, wondering how he should answer. He already knew the answer he was _supposed_ to say, but he wanted to tell her the truth – he wanted her to know how he felt about her subtly. A voice in the back of his head warned him that it was a bad idea, but Nathan chose to ignore it. "Like I said before, Ryan – Haley's very different from other women. She's like a fresh breath of air. She doesn't treat me like I am a basketball superstar – she treats me like I am Nathan Scott – the person. Haley makes me happier than I have ever been, and I honestly haven't felt this way for any other girl. She's someone who gives me reason to come home and look forward to being with her. Whenever I'm with her, everything changes – everything's brighter, better – you know?"

Haley had frozen next to him, and her gaze was firmly fixated on the coffee cup on the table. She couldn't bring herself to look at anyone, afraid that they could sense the overwhelming mix of emotions in her.

Ryan smiled, as if really appreciating what Nathan said. He then asked, "I think what everyone's wondering now is how is your sex life?"

Haley's brows shot up, and she turned to Nathan, panicking slightly. They had certainly not prepared for a question like that. It was probably the _last_ thing they expected Ryan Seacrest to ask them. Her mind raced to find an answer but Nathan was already way ahead of her.

"It's amazing. Haley moved in with me two weeks ago, and just yesterday, we christened the laundry room," he grinned at Haley, his eyes twinkling mischievously. "Oh, and we also christened the garage – I nearly forgot about that."

_Oh, God help me._

Haley was blushing furiously, as she tried her hardest to not picture them making love in the laundry room and the garage – but just hearing his voice say it, and how his fingers were lazily playing with the soft tendrils of her hair framing the side of her face – she could vividly picture it – feel his lips on hers, on every inch of her skin – on places she could only imagine and dream of.

_Snap out of it!_

Nathan was smirking at her, knowing fully well what he had done to her. He loved to watch her squirm. It was as hot as hell. "Of course the bedroom came first – then the pool – yeah, the neighbors had a real kick out of that one."

_Damn you, Nathan Scott_. _Damn you and your annoying ability to turn me on._

She narrowed her eyes at him, deciding to take a little revenge. She rubbed her ankle on his calf, her hand massaging his thigh. "Yeah, those were great – but I can't believe you forgot the night we made love on the kitchen counter with the curtains open – I bet the neighbors really loved that one. And I distinctly remember you loving it, too."

She tried to hide a smirk spreading on her face when Nathan's eyes suddenly widened, his entire body stiffening. She turned back to Ryan, smiling as if nothing happened. "I guess the public will be glad to know that it's more than amazing."

He winked at them. "So what about marriage? Do you see that in your future?"

Nathan, who had been sipping coffee, began to choke on it and coughed several times. "Uh – m-marriage?"

He exchanged nervous glances with Haley, who seemed to have no answer for it either. Nathan answered as carefully as possible, "Well, Ryan – perhaps in the future – but right now, we just want to concentrate on our careers and what we have now. We're both really, really happy and we don't want to rush into things."

_Nice save, Nathan._ Haley thought. The questions were getting more and more personal, and it was one part of the interview they didn't foresee. She braced herself for the next question, but it clearly wasn't enough.

"The interview is almost over, so I guess this leaves the best and most intriguing question for last. Nathan, we're all curious to know – do you love Haley?"

**I know, you all hate me now for leaving it like that, but I have my reasons. I thought my story could use more nice cliffhangers to keep you all excited. Please review!**


	30. Distance

**Hi guys! I am so sorry for making you wait that long. School has been so hectic for me lately, especially because finals are coming up, and professors are throwing huge quizzes right and left. Throw in an annoying sister, sleepless nights, the flu and guy issues ((rolls eyes)), and it just becomes too much to handle.**

**So anyway, thank you for the reviews! Please keep them coming.**

**----Sera**

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* * *

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**Disclaimer: **I own nothing but this story.

"_Do you love Haley?"_

_Haley was stunned and for a few moments, she just sat there, staring at Ryan Seacrest with her jaw dropped, completely dumbfounded and lost for words. She was still unsure of what he asked Nathan until she remembered – what was Nathan going to say?_

_If he answered yes – it could mean that Nathan was only pretending to love Haley for the sake of their "story" – or it could mean that he really did love her, which Haley highly doubted. It was impossible that he could love her._

_And if, God forbid, did he say no – well, she knew the drill. It was much worse._

_The point was, either way, Haley had no idea what Nathan really felt about her, and she honestly couldn't just casually bring it up while they were having breakfast. "Hey Nate, what was the deal with your answer to Ryan Seacrest? D'you mind telling me the truth, so that maybe for once – I actually know how you feel instead of guessing it over and over again?"_

_That was pretty much a disaster in the making._

_She slowly turned her head to Nathan, who wore the facial expression of someone who was carefully considering what he was going to answer. He smiled at Ryan and answered, "Haley and I are old friends – so yes, I do love her in a sisterly way. But in a more romantic sense – well, we've only been dating for two months, so the answer is still tentative at this point. But what I do know is that there is definitely something there and something special for Haley that no other woman has ever made me felt. It could be love, but I just don't know at this point."_

"I can't believe he said that," declared Brooke as she switched the television off. She, Peyton and Haley were seated on the couch in front of Nathan's huge plasma screen television, empty tubs of ice cream and bowls that used to be filled with potato chips and popcorn surrounded them.

It was Friday morning, and Nathan had already left for New York a day ago. At first, Haley appreciated the alone time to think, but the overbearing silence of the huge house was so unnerving that she had to call her two best friends to stay with her while Nathan was away. The truth was, she was actually grateful that Nathan had a basketball game all the way across the country. Things between them were as awkward enough as it were.

_When Haley walked into their bedroom on the evening after their interview, Nathan was already packing his things. There were clothes strewn everywhere, even on the bed, but Haley didn't even have the strength to bother moving it away as she threw herself on the bed._

"_Aren't you going to tell me off for making a mess?" Nathan asked her._

_Haley shook her head. "I'm used to it,"_

_He frowned, confused at the surprising lack of argument between them. He decided to lie down next to her, completely messing up the folds of his clothes neatly piled on the bed, but he didn't care right now. "What's on your mind, Hales?"_

"_Nothing, I'm pretty tired."_

_She turned away, facing the window so her back was turned on him. Nathan immediately knew something was wrong. Usually, her big, brown doe eyes were warm and inviting, but he saw something else there as they drove home. It was empty – completely void of emotion, and it scared him. Her eyes were always so expressive, so he immediately knew what she was thinking or feeling. The thought of not knowing was something that scared him even more._

"_Are you sure there isn't anything you want to talk about?"_

"_I'm sure."_

"_Not a thing? I mean, today was a pretty rough day. There must be something you want to tell me," insisted Nathan, not buying a word she said._

"_That's just it, Nathan – it was a pretty rough day, and I just want to sleep it off," replied Haley, her back still turned to him. She felt the other side of the bed rise, knowing he had stood up, and sighed. She couldn't take it anymore. She couldn't bear not knowing why. She stood up as well, and faced him. "Although there is one thing I want to know. Why did you say it?"_

_She didn't need to explain what "it" was. Nathan saw this coming, and he had rehearsed his answer over and over his head, but he couldn't say the words._

I'm not sure of what I feel about you. And I'm sure as hell not sure of what you feel about me, and I'm fucking scared of what will happen if I tell you the "truth," which I'm not entirely sure of right now.

_But it had come out entirely different when he opened his mouth. "I had nothing else to say."_

_When he saw her eyes widen and her lower lip tremble, he immediately knew what he said was wrong. But it was too late, she had already left._

Haley had slept in the room that used to be her bedroom before she and Nathan became more – intimate, at least that was what she thought it was, before he had pulled the rug from beneath her and basically implied that what he said was nothing. Which meant, what they had was nothing.

And the worse part of it all was that Nathan hadn't even followed her. He never went into her room that night to apologize, and had left early in the morning with nothing but a message in the answering machine that he had left for the early flight.

He didn't even seem to care, which was the exact opposite of what Haley felt. She cared for Nathan, and she cared for whatever their relationship was – maybe _too_ much.

"Hales, are you okay? You've been zoning out on us all this time." Peyton asked her, looking concerned.

"Yeah, I just – I really miss Nathan," replied Haley truthfully. Despite of what he had done, Haley missed his presence. Even if he wasn't in the room, she could feel his presence somewhere in the house – perhaps outside in the backyard playing basketball, or upstairs, working out. Now, it was just a big, empty house that seemed to be made for her to wallow in misery.

Brooke smiled, putting her arm around her shoulders. "Oh, Hales – it's not that bad. He'll only be gone for the weekend."

"That's just it – he can't leave with something so awkward and weird hanging between the both of us. It doesn't feel right," said Haley, her gaze fixated on the television, remembering the interview.

"Maybe he'll call tonight – to apologize. I bet he won't be able to play well until he apologizes to you," offered Peyton.

"You know what? I'm tired of all this guy drama. Let's go out and have fun – just the three of us. We can go shopping!" Brooke suggested, clapping her hands excitedly.

Peyton rolled her eyes. "That's the only thing you consider 'fun,' Brooke."

Brooke pouted. "Well, what else is there to do? I mean, we're hot, we have the money, and I know the best designers where we can get the latest from their spring line before anyone else."

Haley shook her head. "Actually, Brooke – I'm going to have to agree with Peyton on this one. Don't you think we've been shopping way too much? I have way too much clothes now."

"Oh, nonsense Tutor Girl – one can never have too much clothes – especially you. You need to show Boy Toy what a catch you are, and what a better way to do that than with the latest spring collection?" Brooke insisted.

Haley's eyes searched for Peyton's, hoping for some sort of excuse – anything so she wouldn't go, but Peyton was just as clueless as she was. She sighed in defeat. "Alright, alright – let's go waste more money."

Brooke squealed with delight. "That's more like it!"

She sauntered ahead to the door, leaving the other two behind. Peyton pulled Haley to her and whispered, "We're going to have to get her some help,"

"Are you two coming or are you just going to stand there and laugh?" Brooke asked them.

Haley couldn't help but smile. "We're coming,"

* * *

It was already eleven that night when Nathan called, and the truth was, Haley wasn't so sure if she should answer her phone or not. For the first few seconds, she had stared at his name blinking on the screen, debating whether she should press the little green button. Okay, so she had paced for maybe an hour wondering if he was going to call, but when she figured that he wasn't, she had given up. She didn't need his apology. He was an asshole, that's what – and he didn't deserve her forgiveness.

_Okay, answer the phone, Haley. It's not that hard to say no and tell him to get a life. He deserves to be shut down after he shot you down._

"H-hello?"

"It took you long enough to answer the phone," his voice drawled.

Damn him and his sexy voice. Haley could already feel her resolve breaking. "Yeah, well – you're lucky I even answered the phone,"

He chuckled. "You're a terrible liar, Haley. I know you don't mean that."

Haley didn't answer.

When he spoke, his tone was more serious – concerned. "I was kidding, Haley. Listen – you're not still mad at me, are you?"

She still didn't answer, waiting for him to sigh angrily and frustration, and perhaps hear the muffle of him punching the wall or something.

Sure enough, he did both and said, "Hales, you know I didn't mean what I said."

"Which one – the one you told Ryan Seacrest, or the one you told me?"

She heard him curse an expletive, and pictured him pacing the floor, running his fingers through his short hair. "Haley – you have to understand that things between us are still confusing me – we're going too fast – I mean, the other week you hated me, and last week, you're making out with me – and now, we're 'in a relationship' the whole world knows about – and sometimes, it doesn't make any sense –"

"No, _you're_ the one not making any sense, Nathan! I made it clear to you that I don't want anything to do with you – and you come around and screw me over, and then you become this sweet, sensitive guy who is the exact opposite of the asshole who took my virginity, and then makes me doubt this whole thing – this – this _arrangement_! I did not plan for this to happen – for the whole world to know – and when they did, I expected you to be there for me! Instead, you pull the rug from underneath me and make it sound like you don't care!" Haley shouted.

"I care, Haley! Okay? I care – and I'm scared of what happens when I do because I have never cared for any other woman except Kiley, and God knows how long that has been. I put up this wall and I don't even know I do it until I see someone get hurt because of it. It's a defense mechanism, Hales – and I don't like it as much as you do. But I care, Haley – I care about us – more than you ever know."

There was silence on the other line, and for one moment, Nathan thought he was going to have to give another embarrassing speech, but Haley had beaten him to it. Her voice was small, but thankfully, it was calm. "You're lucky I miss you, Nathan."

"So – am I forgiven?"

"Unfortunately,"

He smiled when he heard her laugh from the other line. He loved her laugh – it was so carefree that it made anyone want to laugh with her. "How are you?"

"I invited Brooke and Peyton over. This house is way too big for one person, Nathan. I mean, how is it even remotely possible that when there is so much to do in this house, I can't think of anything?" Haley asked him.

"You could have practiced your free throws in the backyard. That way, you could actually shoot a basket for once," teased Nathan.

Haley laughed along with him. "You know that the only time I actually picked up a basketball was when you offered to teach me how to play? I never even considered learning it."

"First time for everything," he said cheerfully. It was strange how they could go from fighting and arguing to relaxed and happy, but if things for them were going to get worse, he was happy that they were that way. "Speaking of first times, what are you wearing?"

"Oh, I'm wearing a –" She paused, suddenly suspicious. "Are you trying to have phone sex with me?"

Nathan burst out laughing. "No, it was a rhetorical question but phone sex is starting to sound really good right about now."

Haley was blushing to her roots and he knew it. "It's not funny, Nathan!"

"Sure it is, and it's as cute as hell. So what do you think?"

"No, Nathan."

"Oh come on, Hales – we're probably fifty thousand miles away from each other or something. I'm alone, you're alone. I'm horny, you're –" Nathan insisted.

"_Nathan!_" Haley cried out indignantly.

"Please, Hales – just humor me. You brought this upon yourself," he said in a singsong voice.

"Nathan, I can't have phone sex with you." Haley said firmly.

"Why not?"

"Because –" her voice lowered as if she wasn't alone in the room. "I haven't done that yet, either."

"Well, that's perfect because if I took away your actual virginity, then I can take away your phone sex virginity, too."

"Okay mister, that last statement just destroyed any chance of you having sex with me." Haley told him in a fake stern voice, knowing that it was riling him up. She knew he loved to tease her, and now was her chance to take revenge.

"Oh come on, Hales – you're already depriving me of the real thing! Why deprive me of the second best thing? Okay, making out with you is second best, so phone sex is third …"

Haley giggled. "I'm getting sleepy, Nathan. I think I'm going to bed."

"Haley! You can't just leave me hanging like that!"

"You're right, I can't. So I'll tell you what I'm wearing – your old Ravens basketball jersey and the black, lacy underwear you love. Now, good night," laughing, she ended the call and switched off her phone. As she laid her head back on the pillow, closing her eyes, she pictured him pacing the floor, wishing she was there with him.

Just the way she wanted him to be.

**Leave me some love.**


	31. What Happens When You're Away

Doc2

**Hey everyone. Thank you for all the wonderful reviews. Please keep them coming! Again, I am so sorry for the long wait ((dodges rotten tomatoes)). I went on a much-needed vacation in a place where there is no internet connection. Needless to say, I am back, and bent on more frequent updates. Oh, and as you read this, look forward to the end of the chapter, as well as my author's note there.**

**Enjoy, and please review!**

**--Sera**

**Disclaimer: **Don't own a thing!

When Haley awoke the next morning, she heard a faint ringing sound but chose to ignore it. The sound continued and eventually faded, but Haley was already awake enough to wonder who it was. When she sat up, she saw a red light blinking on the answering machine, knowing that after not answering the call, the voice mail would be activated. She couldn't suppress a smile when she heard Nathan's familiar and comforting voice fill the room.

"Hey Hales, I bet you're still asleep right now – I'm pretty sure you are, 'cause you must have been pretty tired just fantasizing about me. Okay, I know you're rolling your eyes at the phone right now –" Sure enough, she was. She leaned in closer as he continued, "I'll be honest with you – I didn't get much sleep last night – you in that jersey – well, you know things that can make a man squirm, Haley James."

He chuckled at this point, making Haley blush and laugh as well. "On the bright side, I had a lot of fun imagining you in it – the maid is going to have a tough time washing the stains off the sheets –"

Haley had just about enough, and quickly picked up the phone. "Way too much information there, Nathan,"

He laughed. "I just wanted you to answer the phone, Hales. But I can't believe you were actually screening my calls."

"I was still sleepy, Nathan. Who calls at this time of day, anyway?" Haley asked.

"Says the girl who wakes up at five every morning," teased Nathan.

"I decided to sleep in for today – you know, rest before I watch your big game."

Nathan burst out laughing. "You act like you're the one who's going to be playing."

"Watching basketball is very physically and mentally draining! Half the time my eyes hurt because I'm trying to see which tall guy has the ball and the other half, I'm trying to figure out why there are free shots." Haley said defensively.

"I'm glad you really appreciate my game, Hales," said Nathan rather dryly.

"And don't even get me started when I try to figure out who's playing whom. I barely know half of the teams I see on television – I don't even know who you're going to be playing. New York Kicks or something?"

"The New York Knicks, Hales."

"Yeah, whatever. All I know is, they're the ones not wearing the yellow uniforms." Haley said, waving her hand carelessly in the air.

Nathan chuckled. "Since the game won't begin until tonight, why not do something productive and practice your so-called 'free shots' in the backyard?"

Haley groaned. "Must you always remind me how physically uncoordinated I am?"

"Well – no, but I just want you to remember that day we had in the backyard …" Nathan began, grinning into the phone. A smile crossed Haley's face as she fondly recalled that day like it was yesterday.

_Haley and Nathan were outside in the backyard. She was seated on the bench next to basketball court as she watched Nathan practice his free throws. He had been doing that for the last few hours and Haley was already far from bored._

"_Doesn't it ever get dull?" She suddenly asked him._

_He turned to her, the ball firmly grasped in his arm. "What?"_

"_This – all of this –" Haley's arm reached out, motioning to the entire basketball court as she tried to prove her point. "All this basketball stuff – I mean, sure it can be fun for like, the first two hours but don't you ever get tired of it? When you're not practicing in your gymnasium or here, I hear you talking about it with Lucas, and other people. Don't you just feel bored about it?"_

_Nathan smiled, joining her on the bench. "You're a very deep thinker when you're bored, aren't you?"_

_Haley playfully smacked his arm in response. "I'm serious, Nathan."_

"_No, I guess I don't," he laughed when she raised a skeptical brow at him. "Look at this way; you love music, don't you? You grew up with it all around you, and whenever you saw someone pick up a guitar and sing, you immediately wanted to do the same thing – if not better. If you could do it for the rest of your life, you would, wouldn't you?"_

_She nodded, awaiting the rest of his explanation._

"_Well, that's how I see basketball. My mom said that I learned how to shoot a basket before I even learned how to walk. When I was four, my dad bought me my first basketball. The moment I watched the ball go through the net after I threw it, I knew that I was meant for it – like I was born to play it, you know? My dad and my grandpa always told me to work hard and practice – stay fit – never score less than twenty points per game – that sort of thing." Nathan explained._

_Haley furrowed her brows. "That's an awful lot of pressure to put on a kid's shoulders."_

_He shrugged. "I guess so – but I like to think that they were only looking out for me. I know they wanted me to succeed and be the best, because they knew I could actually do it. Basketball is my life, Hales. I don't see why I should get tired of my life."_

_She watched his fingers spin the ball between his two hands as he spoke. "It's just a game."_

"_Yeah, my mom always tried to point that out to us, but she was always outnumbered. To my dad and me, it was anything but a game. It was my future – something my dad was supposed to have, but instead, it went to me," he paused, staring at the orange ball in his hands. "But I do miss it – playing just for the fun of it – not because I have to make a living out of the thing."_

_Haley smiled, linking her arm with his and leaning her head on his shoulder. "I bet it was great."_

"_It was so much more than just that – Luke and I loved the game more than anything. It was like our outlet when real life started to suck, and our games of one-on-one would always be better than the games when we won the championship. Maybe because at that moment – we forgot everything, and just enjoyed the game we love," Nathan sighed. "Then life got in the way. We got older, maybe not wiser, but other things that seemed to matter more took the place of what used to be. Sometimes I miss playing basketball just for the fun of it."_

_Haley suddenly had an idea. She quickly stood up, grabbing the ball from him. "Play with me,"_

_He burst out laughing. "Don't you think you're overestimating yourself just a wee bit too much?"_

_She pouted at him. "There's that serious thing again – I just want you to play for the fun of it – even if I do suck," when she saw that Nathan wasn't entirely convinced, she continued, "Okay, for every touchdown –"_

"Basket_, Haley," reminded Nathan._

"_Right, _basket – _for every basket you make, I take one item of my outfit off – and let's face it, I'm not wearing much to begin with, anyway," Haley said, spinning around. "But since you're so good at playing, it also includes accessories and shoes."_

_She was right. Haley was wearing a plain white tank top, light jacket and capri pants with flip flops, and her hair was tied in a ponytail. Nathan thought she looked absolutely gorgeous. She was so effortlessly beautiful, and he was glad she hadn't noticed him staring hungrily at her from time to time._

"_Not going to be a problem, Hales," said Nathan smoothly._

"_And with every basket I shoot, you take something off, too – to be fair." Haley continued._

"_You do know this is going to be a one-sided game, don't you?"_

"_Shut up and throw me that ball," she snapped at him._

_Half an hour later, all Haley had left on was her bra and pants, while the only thing Nathan had taken off him was his hooded sweater._

"_I told you it was going to be a one-sided game," taunted Nathan smugly._

"_Hey, I was able to make you remove your sweater!"_

_He laughed. "I purposely let you take that easy shot, and pretended to trip – if I hadn't, you'd be topless by now. And my, my – what a shame I couldn't see that."_

_She stuck a tongue out at him. "That pretty much killed your chance to see me topless at all."_

_Nathan's eyes widened in worry as he quickly added, "I was just kidding, Hales!"_

_She burst out laughing. "You should've seen your face just now! God, you are so easy to manipulate – it's like dangling a bra in front of you."_

_He pulled her to him, his lips toying with her earlobe while his fingers played with the clasp of her bra. "Mm, I'd love to see that,"_

_Haley was getting dizzy by his touch, and the way his voice tickled the tiny hairs on her neck. She sighed in contentment, running her fingers through his tousled hair. "Shame, I wanted to have you sweaty in your wifebeater."_

_Nathan lightly grazed his lips over hers, making her part her lips with a moan. She gazed up at him, her soulful brown eyes glazed with desire. One finger lazily traced circles on the small of her back as he huskily whispered, "That could easily be arranged."_

_Suddenly, just before Nathan could kiss her fully, she grabbed the ball from him and ran to the end of the court. She aimed and took a shot, watching it swoosh through the basket. "Wow, I'm getting really good at this. Off with the pants, Scott!"_

_Nathan laughed, running after her as he tried to wrestle the ball from her grasp._

"You never really did take those pants off," reminded Haley in a singsong voice.

"How about we schedule a rematch once I get home?" He asked her.

"Are you sure you want to get your ass whipped again?" Haley teased him.

There was a sudden scuffle in the background, and Nathan was yelling for Lucas to shut up.

"Ooh, is Lucas there? Can I talk to him?" She asked him eagerly.

"Great, you're ditching me for Lucas – I'm hurt, Hales. I really am," Nathan said, pretending to be insulted.

"Just put him on the phone," there was a pause until she brightly said, "Hi, Luke! How's the babysitting going?"

"It's alright – if I didn't have to hear him whine about you over and over again. It's like dealing with a four-year-old who wants candy."

"How are things back in the mansion?"

"Well, it's a lot cleaner here, I'll tell you that." Haley said.

"Wish it were the same here," remarked Lucas gloomily.

Haley laughed, glancing at the clock on the bedside table. It was almost nine. "Damn, I have to get going. I promised Peyton I'd listen to this new band she's thinking of signing on. Put Nathan back on the line," there was another brief pause and she said, "I have to go, but call me after your game, alright?"

"Alright – and don't forget, we're trying that phone sex thing tonight."

"Oh, _gross_ – I can't believe you said that in front of me!" Lucas shouted from the background.

Laughing, Haley ended the call. This was going to be a great day – or so she thought.

* * *

"Haley, you have to come and look at this," called Peyton from the living room.

It was the day after Nathan's game, and they had won. Everything would have been even better, if he had remembered his promise to call Haley. She decided to disregard it, thinking that he was probably tired and wanted to rest from the game.

When Haley walked into the living room, she froze on the spot. Nathan was on E! News, and he was in a club. Next to him was a tall, gorgeous woman who looked to be a model, but she wasn't just standing there. His arm was around her waist, holding her close to him as he whispered something into her ear, making her laugh. She then turned so her back was on the camera and Nathan couldn't be seen, but it was obvious that they were heavily making out.

The host's voice filled the room as he announced, "This was the scene last night in New York hotspot, _Villa_ when two hours after the Lakers' win, the team arrived to celebrate. It turns out that Nathan Scott has other ideas of celebrating his win."

**This is where the drama begins you guys, but it won't fully escalate until further into the story. It's just something to keep you guys hanging. Don't worry though, it won't be that bad.**

**Oh, and I've been writing a new story and it's an AU Naley drama. Please tell me if you want me to begin posting, or if I should finish this story first. Don't forget to review – I know you have at least one thing to say about the chapter, especially the ending.**


	32. What Really Happened

**Hi guys! Thank you all for the wonderful reviews, especially the really funny and amusing ones where most of you said Nathan was an asshole and whatnot. Basically, this chapter is going to explain what really happened, and what is going to happen next. So enjoy, and leave me some love!**

**--Sera**

**

* * *

**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own a thing, even if I wanted to.

_**New York, one day ago …**_

"_Oh _gross_, I can't believe you said that in front of me!" Lucas shouted, his handsome face contorted in disgust._

_Nathan put the phone down, throwing a pillow at him again. "Oh, get over yourself. And it's not like you and Devil Spawn aren't worse."_

"_Her name's Brooke,"_

"_Right, Devil Spawn," ignored Nathan, throwing himself back on the bed. He interlaced his fingers and rested the back of his head on his palms. "So what brings you here? You must have interrupted my conversation with Haley for a reason."_

"_Yeah, I came to check on you. You feeling alright?"_

"_Yeah, why shouldn't I be? The big game's tonight, my game has been so good that people should be worshipping the air I breathe and things between me and Haley couldn't be any better." Nathan said, smiling slightly._

_It didn't fool Lucas. He then asked with a brow raised, "Still not getting any, huh?"_

_Nathan's small smirk disappeared and was replaced by exasperation. "Man, is it that obvious?"_

"_To anyone who knows you both well," replied Lucas._

_His brother shrugged in response. "It's not that bad."_

"_It's not that bad?" Lucas repeated. "When did you ever start thinking that having no sex is not that bad? I must be spending way too much time with Brooke."_

"_Honestly, it isn't. I haven't even thought of it that much as I thought I would. I kind of like just hanging out with Haley – getting to know her."_

_Lucas still had an incredulous look on his face. "Okay, who are you and what have you done to the real Nathan?"_

_Nathan punched his shoulder in reply. "I'm serious, Luke. I mean, before Haley, every relationship I had with a woman had to have sex. Now, it doesn't even matter as much as it used to. Don't get me wrong, I really like getting physical with Haley, but it's different with her. I like to hear what she has to say, what her opinions are, just getting to know her every day. It just seems more real, you know?"_

_He looked up at his brother, expecting Lucas to be staring at him in disbelief, but he was met with a surprised but nonetheless wide smile._

"_What are you smiling at?" Nathan asked, frowning slightly._

_Lucas shook his head as he got up. "Nothing. It's nothing," he tossed Nathan the wifebeater hanging on the chair. "Come on, let's go have a quick run before breakfast. The coach will kill me if you don't have enough practice before your big game."_

_Nathan nodded, glancing at the clock on the bedside table. It was twelve hours before the big game._

* * *

"_Nathan! Where you going, man? The party limo's this way." Skillz called, pointing to a long, black stretch limousine parked right outside the basketball stadium._

_Nathan looked up, slightly distracted. They had won the game by three points, with Nathan scoring the last and winning three points. It had been a tough game, but their win was their one-way ticket to the championship. He should have been elated, but all he could think about was calling Haley._

_His thumb was poised to press the call button but Skillz strode over, putting an arm over his shoulder. "What's on yo' mind?"_

"_I'm just thinking of going back to the hotel, maybe get some sleep." Nathan said._

_Skillz stared at Nathan as if he saw a ghost. "Alright, I don't know if Lucas' spirit possessed you or something, but you're coming with me. Man, we just won our last game to the championship. You should be drownin' in booze – maybe not in hot girls because Haley's gon' castrate me if I let you do that, but definitely in booze."_

_Nathan couldn't suppress a laugh. He missed hanging out with the team and just having fun. It wouldn't hurt to celebrate a bit. Haley would understand if he called her tomorrow. Without glancing at his cell phone, he shut it off and pocketed it. "You're one hell of a negotiator, Skillz."_

"_Nah man, you just like me."_

_They got into the limousine that was already filled with the players and a few gorgeous women that instantly tried to crowd over Nathan, but Skillz stopped them. "Hey, no touchin' the man. He's taken. Go over on the other side."_

_Nathan gave him a grateful look. "Hand me a beer."_

_Skillz held up a rather tall tequila bottle and two shot glasses. "Who said anythin' about beer?"_

_By the time the limousine arrived at the club, Nathan was already tipsy, having a few more shots than he planned. In his drunken stupor, he had somehow lost Skillz in the crowd because when he looked around, he was gone._

_Once they entered, they were met by blinding flashes of strobe and disco lights, loud rap music blaring from the speakers, and people dancing practically everywhere. There was hardly any space for them to walk, much less breathe. The air smelled of alcohol, cigarette smoke and sweat, which would have been disgusting, if it weren't for the fact that it was a partying hotspot and they were drunk._

_It was as if Nathan became a completely different person than what Haley thought of him now. He went straight to the bar and ordered a vodka on the rocks. After he went through a drink, he would order another one and another one until a woman approached him._

"_Trying to forget an ex-girlfriend?"_

_Nathan looked up through his half-lidded eyes and made out a tall, stunning woman with long, dark hair that fell to her shoulders and sparkling green eyes. "Unless you've been under a rock lately, I have a girlfriend."_

"_Okay, it's either your speech is so slurred that I didn't understand you, or you really said that you have a girlfriend," she moved closer to him, gently placing her hand on his arm. "No guy with a girlfriend comes here. I'd know. I'm here all the time."_

_For a moment, he stared at her hand on his arm and abruptly pulled it away. "I'm not surprised. Look, I already told you I have a girlfriend."_

"_Well, where is your precious girlfriend then?" She challenged._

"_Los Angeles," he mumbled._

"_Wow, right across the country. Don't worry, she'll never know." The woman said seductively, wrapping her arm around his neck and taking a seat on Nathan's lap._

_As if suddenly becoming sober, Nathan stood up and pushed her away. "If I said I'm not interested, would you back off?"_

"_Oh please, you're Nathan Scott. You're always interested in sex," insisted the woman, who was moving dangerously close to Nathan. His back was already up against the wall. "And I'm just the kind of person who can give it to you," her voice came in soft, husky intervals as she continued, "Hot, intense, possibly drunk, no-strings-attached sex – just the way you've always liked it."_

"_Look, I don't mean to be rude but I said I'm not interested. I have a girlfriend." Nathan said in a firmer voice, but the alcohol was getting to his head, making both his vision and thoughts foggy._

_It must have been pretty obvious that the alcohol was having that effect on him because the woman sensed it and decided to use it to her advantage. She pressed herself against him, whispering into his ear, "And has she actually had sex with you?"_

_His eyes widened in surprise and panic, and he scurried away from her. How could she have known? It was impossible that she knew, and he was probably only trying to get on his nerves. Yeah, that was it. "I don't know who you are and I don't know what you're talking about, but I'm not interested so you could just go seduce some other guy, alright?"_

_And before the woman could say anything else, Nathan walked away, staggering and swaying slightly from the effect of the alcohol. He searched the crowds for any sign of Skillz, but instead found one of his teammates having his picture taken by the paparazzi by the entrance of the club._

"_Hey Kirk, have you seen Skillz?" Nathan asked loudly._

"_What? I can't hear you, the music's too loud, man."_

"_I'm asking you where Skillz is."_

"_Who?"_

"_Skillz! I'm looking for Skillz."_

"_I'm sorry man, I really can't hear you."_

_Nathan lost his patience and gave up. "Never mind. Just tell whoever that I'm going back to the hotel, alright? I've had enough."_

_Before Kirk could say anything else in reply, the woman who had been hassling Nathan awhile ago suddenly came up to them._

_"I thought I told you I'm not interested." Nathan told her curtly._

_She laughed, as if she found what he said completely hilarious. To everyone's surprise, including his own, she __threw herself on him, shoving her tongue into his mouth._

_Nathan was so shocked that he didn't notice the paparazzi cameras flashing in front of them. He angrily pushed her away, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Are you fucking stupid or you just can't take a goddamned hint?"_

_She smirked at him, twirling strands of her hair around her finger. "Sorry Nathan, it's the alcohol. I never really understood what you were telling me awhile ago."_

_Every nerve in his body was itching to slap the woman, but he resisted. All he wanted to do was go home and wash the disgusting taste of her off his tongue. Without looking at the cameras that he hadn't noticed, he walked away and went straight to the curb where he hailed a taxi back to the hotel._

It wasn't until the next morning when he saw the news that he remembered what happened. Lucas was furious as he paced the hotel room floor, trying to make sense of the whole situation. "You know what you are, Nathan? You're like this naive, little puppy that the owner stupidly lets out the house and you cause this huge mess that is almost impossible to fix."

Nathan had a pounding headache and he could feel both his lunch and dinner coming up his throat. He felt terrible, and Lucas' yells weren't helping to his headache and nausea. He rubbed his fingertips on his temples in the hope of trying to ease his headache, but it only got worse when he thought of what an idiot he was last night, and how hard it was going to be to fix what he had done. "But you could fix it, right? I mean, we could have a press conference and I could explain that I was drunk, and the woman was insane –"

Lucas shook his head. "That's the easy part. We've been doing that since you started getting drunk in bars. I meant it's almost impossible to fix it with Haley."

Haley.

Nathan had completely forgotten about her. He cursed a string of profanities under his breath, running a frustrated hand through his already-messy hair.

"Have you called her at all about it?" Lucas asked him.

Nathan reached into the pocket of his jeans that was lying on the floor next to the bed, and pulled out his cell phone. He realized with dismay that he had shut it off last night and didn't bother to use it again until now. _Idiot!_ "No. I-I forgot."

If Lucas was furious awhile ago, he was even more furious now. "Goddamit, Nathan! You don't know how lucky you are to be with Haley, and the moment you're miles away from her, you go out and get insanely drunk then make out with a woman in front of the paparazzi! I thought you were actually serious with her now, but instead you're off making out with random women!"

"I am serious with Haley, and I didn't make out with that girl, Luke! She went up to me and shoved her disgusting tongue down my throat, but I pushed her away, I swear to God! They must've rigged the tapes and made it longer than it really was! You have got to believe me Luke, I didn't want her! Kissing or sleeping with her was the last thing on my mind!" Nathan tried to reason out.

As much as he tried to explain it to Lucas - or even to himself, he couldn't erase the guilt and anger he felt with himself, or the look of disappointment on his brother's face. He had seen that look dozens of times before, and he thought he was already immune to it but now that in concerned Haley, it was only now he felt the disappointment as well. It wasn't only disappointment. It was immense guilt and stupidity - knowing that it was all his fault in the first place. If he hadn't gone with them to the club and just went back to the hotel and call Haley like he promised, he wouldn't be in the ridiculous mess.

"But you went there. You went there and got drunk instead of calling her like you promised. You could've at least told her where you were going and what you were going to do. She could think you did this on purpose! How the hell are you supposed to explain and get past that?"

"But I didn't! Do you honestly think I'd want this to happen?! Sure, I was an idiot for getting drunk there in the first place, but I wouldn't do that to Haley!"

"You promised you wouldn't hurt her!"

Nathan suddenly fell silent, guilt overcoming his hangover more than anything. When he spoke, his voice was strangely small - but there was an obvious hint that he didn't want to relive it, and he sure as hell wished it didn't happen. "I didn't mean to hurt her. I just thought it would be fun to go out and drink for a couple of hours. I didn't think it would get that far."

Lucas' reply seemed so simple, but to Nathan, who always had everyone to do it for him, it was the hardest thing to do in the world.

"Fix it."

**Oh, and by the way, I'm in the middle of writing a story that I'm so excited to post, but I'm torn between two possible plot lines and I kind of have the trouble deciding which one to post. I would really appreciate it if you guys went over to my Livejournal blog and check it out. The link is in my profile in this site. Thank you!**


	33. All I Feel

**Hi guys! Thank you for the reviews, as well as the suggestions for my new story. So far, there have been more votes for ****Sway****, and I'm kind of leaning into that plotline, but we'll see in due time. You can still tell me what you prefer. After all, I'm writing for you guys.**

**This chapter has a lot of angst in it, and I'm not entirely sure if I pulled it off. Anyway, I hope you like it!**

**--Sera**

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing.

Nathan sat on the floor of his hotel room, trying to think of a better way to apologize to Haley instead of leaving pathetic apologies on her cell phone's voice mail. It had been early in the morning when Lucas woke him up with a slap on the head and really, really bad news. He checked his watch for the first time that day and was surprised to see that it was already one in the afternoon.

With a very vague but hopeful thought that maybe this time she would answer the phone, he tried to call her again. Like the other times he called her, he became excited when he heard her voice, but the excitement turned to disappointment when he realized it was her recording that was speaking.

"Hey, this is Haley. I'm obviously not here right now, so you know the drill."

"Haley, it's Nathan – uh, I know this is probably the fiftieth time I've called you today, but I was hoping that maybe this time you'd answer the phone, like the last fifty times I hoped you would. Anyway, I'm really, really sorry – I know I screwed up big time, but I have a good explanation for it, and Lucas could back me up on it. Actually, he isn't talking to me either, and I probably deserve that. Just – answer the phone, Haley. Please."

He waited hopefully for a few seconds, praying that she would pick up the phone, but was met by silence.

He sighed in defeat. "I guess this is my cue to put down the phone – again. I'm just – I'm really sorry, Haley. I'll see you when I get back."

"How about instead of leaving a pathetic message on her voice mail, you actually go back there and explain what happened?" A voice asked him.

Nathan turned to see Skillz standing by the doorway. He stood up, tossing his cell phone on the bed. "My cell phone bill is going through the roof this month, but I guess I deserve that, too. Anyway, what are you doing here, man?"

"I came to apologize. I promised you that I'd have your back tonight – but I didn't, and you went out and made a damned fool out of yourself." Skillz answered, taking a seat on the edge of the unmade bed next to Nathan.

"Skillz, none of it was your fault. I was too drunk to notice you were gone."

"Probably my fault, too. You wanted to go back and chill here, but I made you come with us, even made you drink more than half a bottle of tequila. Maybe fifty percent of this is my fault."

"No, it isn't," repeated Nathan. "I was the one who said yes, and I was the one who went out and made a damned fool out of myself. Even if you did make me go to that club, you didn't tell me to go the bar and drink some more, and you didn't tell me to talk to that girl when I should have just ignored her. So if anybody has to be sorry, it's going to be me."

Skillz was silent for a moment then asked, "So you going to go back to LA or what?"

"I can't leave. We aren't scheduled to leave until two days from now and we have this city-wide tour to do." Nathan protested.

"Man, you'd be pelted with tomatoes by those feminist people and angry girls on Haley's side if you went on that tour."

Nathan's voice was strangely hollow as he said, "You know, by now, I should be used to the fact that the whole world knows of my screw-ups. I mean, I've done enough to make half of the world hate me. It never really bothered me before, but now that it concerns Haley, it makes me feel like the biggest jackass on the planet. Screwing up my relationship with Haley feels like karma for all the shitty things I've done."

"Well, you should. Haley's the best girlfriend of yours that I've met, and I see something between the two of y'all that I ain't seen with no one else. There's something different in there, man, and I'd hate to see it go to waste by one stupid mistake you did. So go home, forget the feminists who gon' throw tomatoes at you, and forget about what the rest of the world thinks. Make things better with you and Haley." Skillz encouraged.

"See, that's the problem there. I don't even know how. I don't even know if she'll take me back now."

"Sure you do. You just don't know yet. But if Haley cares about you as much as I think she does, she'll take you back and forgive your sorry ass," he grinned slightly at Nathan. "Besides, you got the whole trip to think about what you gon' do."

There were rare moments in Nathan's life when he let people tell him what to do. Sure, many people told him to do this and to do that, but he never listened, mainly because his pride was too strong for him to consider it, and he thought he didn't need it. After being free from his father's endless pressuring and prodding, Nathan lived a life that was purely dictated by him. He never cared about his screw-ups because he was sure that there were people who cleaned up the mess he made, notably Lucas. But now, Lucas wasn't around to clean up his mess – no one was, except for himself. That was probably one of the hardest things Nathan ever had to do in his life, and for once, he was letting go of his pride and cleaning up himself.

"What should I do then?"

Skillz smiled, placing an arm on Nathan's shoulder. "That, my man, is all up to you."

Nathan nodded, and quickly began throwing all his clothes and shoes into his duffel bag. He grabbed the nearest shirt and jeans, putting them on and pocketed his cell phone and wallet. "If Lucas or anyone else looks for me, tell them where I'm going and what I'm going to do. I don't think they'll stop me, anyway," he was just about to leave, but he stopped in his tracks, looking back at Skillz. "Thanks, man."

"Go do what you have to do, Nate."

For the first time that day, there were traces of a smile on Nathan's face as he made his way down the hallway of the hotel.

* * *

"_See what happens when you leave your man alone?" The announcer asked, smirking slightly at the camera. She smiled, obviously trying to look sympathetic. "Especially if your man is Nathan Scott. Good luck with that, Haley James."_

"_Bitch," muttered Peyton and Brooke at the same time._

_They both turned to Haley, who seemed like she was rooted to the spot where she stood. Her jaw was dropped slightly, and her face had a look of complete and utter shock, as if she was trying to take in or understand what she just saw and heard._

_Brooke slowly took a few steps towards her while Peyton switched the television off. "Haley, I'm sorry you had to see that."_

"_Yeah, I'm sorry, too." Haley said softly._

"_We honestly didn't know what it was." Peyton added._

_Haley didn't reply. She could feel hot tears starting to fill her eyes and her lower lip tremble, but she didn't want to cry. She didn't want to feel weak, or vulnerable or affected. All she wanted was not to care that the man she loved cheated on her – she wanted to be so uncaring that she couldn't feel the growing ache in her heart or the crushing blow of the truth on her shoulders. Her breathing became labored and came in short, quick intervals as she tried to hold in her sobs._

"_Haley – please say something. Are you alright?" Brooke asked again, starting to feel apprehensive. She moved closer to put her arm around her best friend's shoulders but she took a few steps back in response._

"_I'm – I'm fine." Haley stammered._

"_No, you're obviously not. Haley, it's okay to cry. We're here for you." Peyton said consolingly._

"_I'm not going to cry." She replied a little too loudly, more to herself than to them._

"_Haley, you can't act like you don't care about what you just saw, because we all know that you do." Brooke told her, completely confused on why Haley was acting the way she was._

"_You know what, I think I deserve not to care. All my life and all throughout this so-called 'relationship', all I've ever done is care and I am tired of caring! I am tired of caring so much and getting nothing in return! I think I deserve to not care when he obviously doesn't care about me, either! Just look at him and what he just did! Does he look like he cares?" Haley shouted, anger completely taking over her. She then saw the taken aback looks of her friends, and desisted, immediately feeling guilty for taking out her anger on them. When she spoke, her voice was smaller, as if she was trying to hide the shakiness in it. "I'm sorry – I – I need to be alone."_

"_Hales –"_

"_You can – um, lock the door on your way out."_

_And without another word, Haley turned around and quickly walked away. When she entered the bedroom, she closed the door and collapsed against it, her knees too weak to support her. It was only then that she knew she couldn't hold back anymore, and with a choked sob, she began to cry. She furiously tried to blink away tears, but the more she blinked the more tears that fell. Her entire body wracked with sobs, shaking from the overwhelming emotions she felt, and the hurt she couldn't ignore._

_She was right. It wasn't that she cared. It was that she cared too much._

* * *

"_Has she stopped crying?" Brooke asked, her voice interrupting the silence in the living room. She lay on the couch with her eyes closed, her legs dangling over the edge._

_Peyton stood up from the armchair she was sitting on and went to the bedroom to check. When she returned, she was nodding. "Yeah. It's pretty quiet."_

"_It's bound to be pretty quiet. She's been crying for like –" Brooke paused to check her wristwatch. "- an hour or something. I'm not really sure. I just know she's been crying for a really long time."_

"_Well, could you blame her? Nathan and that woman were practically eating each other's faces – the asshole." Peyton remarked, a hint of protective anger in her voice._

"_Let's hope for his ass' sake and Haley's heart that it was a past video with his girlfriend that the press is trying to use against him – but I highly doubt that," she glanced at the hallway leading to the bedrooms, worried. "I've never seen Haley so broken up over anyone before. She didn't even cry when she broke up with Chris, and they've been dating for years."_

"_She obviously didn't love Chris."_

"_So are you saying that Haley loves Nathan?"_

_Peyton hesitated. She knew that Haley hadn't told Brooke of what she really felt about Nathan, mainly because she wasn't ready, but it also wasn't fair that Brooke didn't know a thing. "Yeah."_

"_How do you know?" Brooke demanded._

"_She – told me. She was upset, Brooke – and I wanted to know if she was alright, and she sort of blurted it out to me. Trust me, I was a lot more surprised than you'd think." Peyton explained._

_Brooke was silent for a moment. "Normally, I would totally get pissed off at the fact that the two of you didn't tell me, but I kind of get where Haley is. I mean, she's never really fallen in love, and who would expect that it would be with Nathan Scott. And it's been almost three weeks since they moved in together. The first week she hated him, and this week, she loves him? Haley isn't like that at all. She's always been the most sensible and least impulsive among the three of us, and she probably couldn't even explain it to herself."_

"_Is Nathan really as charming as everyone says he is?" Peyton wondered aloud._

_Brooke shrugged. "I don't know, but I'm guessing that a part of Haley wanted this."_

"_She wanted to get hurt?" Peyton asked, her brows raised in confusion._

"_No, I meant – maybe a part of Haley wanted to see Nathan again. Maybe something happened that night they first met and slept together that we don't know."_

_Instead of looking at her best friend strangely, Peyton simply nodded. They didn't know much of what really happened that night, and usually, Haley refused to talk about it. Even when she and Nathan were already hitting it off, the topic never really came up, and now that Peyton thought about it, there was a lot more going on than they thought._

_She stood up again. "We better go talk to her."_

_Brooke knocked on the door, and when no one answered, she opened the door slightly, peeking inside. Haley was curled up against the post of the bed, her eyes bloodshot and her cheeks tearstained. Immediately, they went inside, putting their arms around her._

"_Oh God, Haley – we're so sorry," whispered Peyton, completely shocked at how her friend looked. She hated seeing her so weak and almost like a child. Haley was always the strongest of the three and she always refused to be vulnerable. Her feelings for Nathan must be stronger than Peyton or Brooke thought._

_When Haley spoke, her voice was hoarse and so small that they had to move closer to hear her. "I can't cry anymore. I can't even feel this floor, or this post – or you guys hugging me."_

"_It's okay, Hales. You don't have to feel anything." Brooke told her, stroking her hair consolingly._

_Haley looked up at Brooke, her usually expressive, doe-like eyes empty of any emotion. "Did Peyton tell you that I love him?"_

"_Yeah, she did."_

_Haley tore her gaze away, her voice still hollow as she quietly said, "It's all I feel right now."_

**I hope you guys will remember Brooke and Peyton's conversation, because it is really important that you do. The next chapter is going to be full of drama, so look forward to next weekend, at most. Leave me some love!**


	34. Confrontation

**Hey guys! Thank you for all the awesome reviews. Like Brooke and Peyton's conversation in the last chapter, please take note of the flashback in this chapter. It's a clue on what else happened between Nathan and Haley the night they first met. You might also their conversation a bit familiar. I actually love that scene of theirs, and I wanted to incorporate that in this story. You'll see what I mean when you read it.**

**Enjoy!**

**--Sera**

* * *

"_You want to tell me what's on your mind?"_

_Nathan and Haley were lying on the bed, obviously sated. Haley lay next to him, a good few inches away from him, but nonetheless naked. The alcohol was still buzzing in her ears. They had been having sex all night, only stopping to get some food and more alcohol from the kitchen every now and then. Aside from the mind-blowing sex, anything else barely registered in Haley's head, especially the fact that a man she didn't know had already taken her virginity about five hours ago._

_Someone would think that they would have some sort of level of intimacy at this point and time, but for some reason, they kept their distance from each other. No cuddling or spooning or touching. When they were done, there was probably a foot's distance between them, and it was only when one of them got in the mood again that they would close the distance. Hell, they didn't even talk to each other – until now._

_Haley, who had been lying flat on her back, staring blankly at the ceiling, turned her head to him. He was laying the exact same way, except that his eyes were closed, as if he was asleep. "How do you know I'm even awake?"_

"_I don't need to see you to know what you're doing. I can just feel it." Nathan replied to her, his eyes still closed._

_Inexplicably, Haley felt both her stomach and heart lurch at his answer. Disturbed by this, she decided to take it lightly in the hope that he wouldn't notice how surprised or nervous she suddenly was. "That's creepy."_

_His eyes opened, setting his blue orbs on hers. Haley felt the inexplicable lurch again, this time stronger. Was his gaze always that intense – and were his eyes always that piercing? It was unnerving, like he was trying to see into her. No one had ever looked at her that way. In fact, the whole night, she had never seen that strange look in his eyes. Mostly, they were full of lust, which Haley was already used to by that time – but right now, it was like he wanted something more – something more intimate. Haley squirmed at the mere thought of it._

_The intense gaze disappeared, and was replaced by a rather playful glint as he smirked at her. "Are you always this feisty?"_

"_Why are you asking me questions all of a sudden?" She demanded._

"_I like it when you're feisty," he grinned at her._

_She glared at him, crossing her arms over her chest. "I liked the silence awhile ago."_

_His forefinger gently traced small circles on her arm, sending jolts of electricity coursing through her body. He felt her tremble with her touch, and for the first time that night, a small – but very much genuine – smile crossed his face. "I think it's hot."_

_Panicking at how he was making her feel – like her entire body was suddenly on fire – Haley immediately stood up, wrapping her tiny body in the blanket as she did. She moved to the spot by the window, her back turned to him. "And I think you should stop."_

"_I think you're scared." He told her. The tone of his voice was taunting – as if challenging her to admit it._

_Flaring up instantly, Haley turned back to him, only to see him lying completely naked on the bed, smirking at her. Her mouth and throat went dry as her gaze drifted from his devastatingly handsome facial features to his muscular, well-defined chest. She begged her eyes not to move lower, but as if having a mind of its own, it did – and she felt the knot in her stomach tighten even more. She was frozen in the spot where she stood. Her sudden desires for him were replaced by flustered indignation when the smirk on his face grew when he realized what she was staring at._

"_Don't flatter yourself. You're – adequate." Haley snapped, surprised that she even managed to say something._

_He chuckled at her answer. "Yeah, having sex three times sure proves I'm adequate."_

"_You're conceited." She threw at him, trying to mask how uneasy she was._

_Haley began to lose her nerves when Nathan stood up and moved closer to her. It was as if she was rooted to the spot where she stood, and no matter how much she tried to tear her gaze away from his eyes, she couldn't. His hands grasped her arms, making the blanket fall to the floor. Before she could even feel the cold air, his warm body covered hers, pinning her to the wall. "You're scared."_

"_Of what?" Haley whispered._

"_Of how I make you feel – I know it scares you. I can see it in your eyes. You build this huge wall around yourself to try to hide how lonely you really are, and you're scared that I'm breaking it down. We've barely done anything but have sex, and I'm already breaking your protective wall down." Nathan whispered back._

_He was right. The look in his eyes awhile ago was back, and it was breaking her resolve. But there was something else there – something Haley couldn't recognize. His lips grazed her jaw line, and it was then she knew that he wanted her. Not only in the sexual sense – but in a whole different level that she couldn't understand or accept._

_Nathan looked into her beautiful brown eyes, seeing both fear and uncertainty in them. He squeezed her hand in reassurance. "Let me in."_

_Haley couldn't stop a tear from flowing down her cheek and she let him gently kiss it away. Her heart was pounding against her chest, and she was pretty sure he could feel it as well. As soon as he saw her slowly nod, he lifted her up into his arms and set her on the bed. They only made love once that night, but that one time changed everything between them._

"Haley – Peyton and Jake are going out to buy some groceries. Do you want anything?" Brooke's voice asked, interrupting Haley's thoughts.

She turned to her best friend, and numbly shook her head in reply.

Brooke walked up to Haley, giving her a hug. "You know, I don't have to go to work today if you want some company."

Haley smiled wanly. "You don't have to stay here, Brooke. I know you have a lot of work to do, and I really don't want to be a burden. I'll be fine alone."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I really need some time alone – to uh, think things over."

"Actually, there's something I need to talk to you about – but we'll talk about it later when I get back. Just giving you a head's up." Brooke said, flashing a comforting, dimpled smile.

Just then, Peyton and Jake walked in. Haley winced when she saw them. "Oh God, I'm really sorry you had to see the mess in here, Jake."

He grinned at her, giving her a brotherly hug. "Hey, it's no big deal. I live with Peyton, remember?"

For the first time in how long, Haley laughed as Peyton swatted his arm. "Thanks for everything, you guys. I really appreciate it."

Peyton hugged her. "You'll be alright, Hales."

Jake waited for Peyton and Brooke to walk out of the room, and once they did, he affectionately rumpled her hair. "I know it's hard for you to accept right now – and you'll probably hate me for saying it – but Lucas told me everything, and Nathan didn't do what you think he did. He's a good guy, Haley. He wouldn't do that to you."

"It's really hard to believe that right now."

"All I'm saying is; don't shut him out completely. At least listen to what he has to say, okay?"

Haley merely nodded in reply. "Thanks, Jake."

He clapped a hand on her shoulder and walked out of the room. In a few minutes, she heard the front door slam shut and the sound of Jake's car roaring away. She threw herself on the bed, trying to ignore the pounding ache on her temples. After crying for hours and losing her appetite in the process, she felt terrible. All she wanted to do was lie on the bed and drift off to a somewhat peaceful slumber.

Just as she was about to fall asleep, the doorbell began ringing, followed by a series of poundings on the front door. Haley sighed in frustration, expecting it to be Brooke, who probably forgot her cell phone or something. Without looking up, she dragged herself down the hallway and opened the door. Her jaw dropped when she saw who was standing on the doorway.

It was Nathan carrying his duffel bag, and he looked like crap run over by a truck. His dark hair was disheveled, as if he had run his fingers through it repeatedly. His dark blue eyes were bloodshot, and judging by how rumpled his clothes were, he probably grabbed them lying on the floor all night and simply threw them on in a hurry.

"Haley, we really need to –" Nathan began, but was cut off by the door slamming on his face. "Hey! Why did you close the door?"

"I don't want to see you." She called through the door. Haley's heart was hammering against her chest. What was he doing here? He wasn't scheduled to come home until the weekend, and there he was, on the doorstep – looking incredibly handsome, even if he looked like crap. She didn't like how it made her feel – like she wanted to take him back. She wasn't supposed to feel that way – not now, not after what he did.

There was a huge deal of slamming his fists on the door, and trying to open the door, but he desisted when he realized that the door was locked. "Haley, you can't lock me out of my house!"

"I just did!"

"I know where the spare key is!"

"I hid the spare key, so don't bother looking for it. Go to a motel or something. I bet the management already knows you and your latest skank!" Haley shouted.

At first, Nathan didn't know how to respond. He was too stunned to think of a clever comeback. "You think I _slept _with her?!"

"Don't be stupid, Nathan. I _know_ you slept with her. It's what you do. It's what everyone knows you do – and obviously, 'everyone' includes me."

"Haley, I wouldn't do that to you! Just let me explain, please!"

"I don't want to hear your stupid explanation, Nathan! Because as far as I'm concerned, anything you say as of right now, is completely meaningless and it wouldn't change how I feel about you or what you've done!" Haley shouted through the crack of the door.

_Not even if I told you I love you?_ He thought rather desperately. More than anything, he wanted her to know how he really felt about her, but something in the back of his head told him that now wasn't a good time. He had debated on whether he should tell her or not on so many occasions, and every time, he simply couldn't bring himself to say it. It always filled him with fear – not knowing what she would say, or react – or what would happen if he did tell her. He decided to rely on the thought that he would have to approach her in a different way.

When Nathan spoke, his voice was eerily calm. "Okay, I get it – you don't want to hear what I have to say, even if you know better than to believe in those gossip mongers, but I guess that's your decision, and I respect that. If you want me to leave, I'll leave, but I'll be here every day, Haley – I'll be waiting for you to let me explain, and I don't care how long it takes. I don't care if I have to do move into that motel you want me to go to, or if I have to stand her all day to wait for you, but I will, Haley. If there's anything you should believe, it's what I just said."

There was sudden silence, as if Haley was considering what he said. Nathan mentally counted the seconds until she would open the door, and right on cue, the door swung open, revealing a surprised but still angry Haley standing at the doorway, her arms crossed over her chest and one of her brows raised. "You were serious about that?"

"Yeah, as much as I'm serious about this," he bent down and lifted her into his arms, swinging her small body over his shoulder as he carried her inside, slamming the door shut with his foot. "We have a lot to talk about."

"What the hell do you think you're doing?! Put me down, Nathan – put me down right now!" She screamed, trying to hit him with her fists, but he ignored it as he carried her to the living room.

"Haley, I just need you to listen to what I have to say, alright?"

"And you think carrying me around like a sack of rice will make me listen to you?"

He half-grinned at this point. He had forgotten how high-spirited she was, and how much he loved that about her. "Well, it got me in here – so it probably will," he set her down on the couch, wincing at the angry look she was giving him. "Haley, please – just let me explain, okay? When I'm done explaining and you still haven't changed your mind about me, I'll do whatever you want. I just need you to know what really happened. Give me ten minutes, that's all I ask."

Haley considered it for a moment and slowly nodded.

Nathan wasn't entirely sure of how to begin. He didn't even know what to say at all, afraid that one thing could make her more upset than she already was. He took a deep breath and began to explain – from how he was planning to go back to the hotel after the big game to how he immediately left when the woman threw herself at him. He had been avoiding her gaze all the time that he spoke; only glancing at her every now and then and when he looked at her fully, her face was expressionless.

"Who was she?" Haley asked quietly.

"I don't know. She didn't tell me who she was."

"Could you have slept with her before?"

Nathan was bewildered. "Haley, I don't get what you're trying to –"

"Just answer the damn question, Nathan." Haley's voice was tighter as she struggled to keep her tears at bay.

He still didn't know what she was getting at, and if he was confused before, he was even more confused now. "I don't know – maybe. I don't know if I slept with her, because I don't remember any of the girls I've had one-night stands with!"

"_I_ was a one-night stand, Nathan!" Haley shouted, standing up all of a sudden. Her entire body was shaking from anger and pent-up frustration.

"You're different!" Nathan shouted back.

"I don't feel any different! Tell me something – what makes me so different from those other girls, except that I'm here now? We got drunk and we slept together – isn't that the standard with the rest of your one-night stands? Because honestly, Nathan – any of those women could be me now. You could have run after them, looked for them, did to them what you did to me and it wouldn't make much of a difference!" Haley yelled, feeling tears brimming in her eyes, but she fought to hold them back.

Nathan ran his fingers through his hair in frustration, swearing under his breath as he did. "Haley, they don't mean a thing to me, alright? I don't care about them, and you shouldn't feel threatened by any of them! They're nothing!"

"Nothing?" Haley repeated shrilly. "Nathan, they are everything! Every day that I'm with you, I think about your past with them and it scares me! I shouldn't feel so jealous or threatened but I do – and I honestly don't want to! I don't want to feel like I'm not worth anything! I feel so inferior compared to them, because they gave you what you want – and every day, I feel so guilty that I'm making you wait! And every day I'm so scared of losing you to one of them – that you'd get tired of waiting for me, and have one of your 'meaningless' flings. I can't be any of the women who throw themselves at you – that's not who I am. Do you even know how I felt when I woke up next to you?! I felt like a slut, Nathan! A slut! I felt like one of _them_ – random, meaningless … nothing!"

Nathan watched her scream and rage at him – watched anger and pain flit in her eyes, and he swore he felt his heart break into a million pieces. He hated to see her so upset and so heartbroken, especially because it was his fault.

"And you know what else? Every day, I watch you go out the door, not knowing where you are or what you do – and I am as scared as hell of losing you. I shouldn't even be feeling this way because I'm supposed to hate you! This whole thing wasn't even supposed to happen in the first place! When you said that you didn't remember any of the girls you had one-night stands with, I couldn't help but think that one day, you wouldn't remember me – or anything that happened between us, and that you'd regret we ever slept together or met. I would be 'nothing' to you."

"Haley, I have never regretted sleeping with you, or meeting you. You would never be 'nothing' to me. You need to know that." As much as Nathan tried to reason out, she wouldn't be swayed. He half-expected that she wouldn't; she had been hurt too much.

He tried to go near her, but she took a step back. Haley had never felt more conflicted in her life. Part of her wanted him to hold her in his arms, and another part didn't want to see him again. "Don't touch me. Get out."

"What? Haley –"

"I've heard what you have to say. You can leave."

Haley watched him walk out the door – the picture of a broken and defeated man. When the door closed, she felt her knees give way, her heart shatter into a million pieces. She thought she could no longer cry, but she could no longer hold the tears.

**I hope I didn't disappoint. Please review! Constructive criticism is very much welcome and appreciated. :)**


	35. Secrets

**Hi there, guys. Okay, first off, I want to thank everyone for the reviews. They are all awesome, and I was totally shocked to see that the review count is almost up to 800! I honestly didn't think it would get to be that much. Thank you again.**

**Secondly, in response to a question asked for the flashback in the last chapter, yes – I purposely said that Nathan and Haley had sex thrice that night, and made love once. There's a distinct difference between those two, especially where they are concerned because Haley was originally a one-night stand to Nathan. The whole "making love" thing just points out that there was a strong sense of connection between them that night – which will be a key point in the following chapters. There is a whole lot more to their one-night stand than you think. I hope that answers your question!**

**Lastly, how awesome was 5x13? I loved that Nathan and Haley are trying to fix their relationship, and I loved their hot love scene by the end – finally! James Lafferty is as hot as ever. Lol. I also loved what the counselor pointed out to them – that they are still twenty-two, and they have so much to live for. I personally think that they are way too busy being adults that they forget that they are still young. And the prospect of Nathan's basketball career and Haley's music career is exciting! I like that Dan is trying to be a good grandfather to Jamie, but he is still really creepy. I honestly don't know what to think of him right now.**

**So that ends my rant, and I hope enjoy this chapter.**

**--Sera**

**Disclaimer: **Nope, still don't own it.

Brooke's sleek, silver Cadillac Escalade swept past the busy streets of Los Angeles and smoothly parked in the parking area behind her apartment building. She got out of the car, rubbing her eyes tiredly. Her day had been exhaustingly hectic, with the anticipation of her spring line and the scandal that was her best friend and her ass of a boyfriend. Her phone had been ringing off the hook all day, and she couldn't step out of a building without being surrounded by hordes of paparazzi, attacking her with questions she didn't want to hear or answer.

She briefly checked her watch, sighing when she saw that it was well past lunch time, and that she would have to get back to the office in an hour or two for another three more meetings she had to pretend to be interested in. Brooke wasn't in no mood to listen to anyone argue about magazine layouts or the lighting for the runway show. Not only had her day been a complete headache, but Lucas hadn't called yet. She knew that he was probably on the plane back, but all she wanted was to hear his comforting voice.

Brooke rummaged through her bag for her keys, and when she found them, her jaw dropped when she saw Nathan seated at the foot of the door of her apartment, apparently waiting for her. Her perfectly arched brows shot up. "Are you lost?"

"Haley kicked me out."

"Serves you right. Now get out of my way so I can get into my apartment." She snapped.

"Is Lucas here?" Nathan asked her, taking a step aside.

"He's on the plane back here. Shouldn't you know that?"

"He's – uh, not talking to me, either."

Brooke couldn't surprise a snort at this point, as she unlocked the door so she could get inside. "Also serves you right," she felt his presence behind her, and with an exasperated sigh, turned to him. Her previous annoyance waned when she saw him – like a man who had lost everything that mattered to him. She had always been more than supportive of her best friend's relationship with Nathan, and like everyone else in the world; she didn't want to see something so special end over a mistake that wasn't even his fault. "Look, you shouldn't even be here. Haley would consider it base treachery if she found out I talked to you, so why don't you go and fix things with her?"

"Like I said, she kicked me out." Nathan replied dully.

Brooke frowned. "How does that even happen?"

"That's not the point," interrupted Nathan, rolling his eyes at her. "Look, when Lucas gets here, I need you to tell him that I need to talk to him."

"What am I, your messenger? What makes you think I would do that for you after what you did to Haley?" She asked him.

"Because I didn't do what you think I did. I figured you'd know that by now."

"She's devastated, Nathan. You hurt her pretty bad."

"You think I don't know that? I hate myself for hurting her! Haley's the best thing that ever happened to me, and if I could take back what happened, I would – but I obviously can't, and I obviously can't fix anything if she won't talk to me. You're her best friend, Brooke. Can't you tell her to talk to me?" Nathan asked pleadingly.

"At this point, anything concerning you is just about out of the picture for Haley." Brooke curtly told him.

Nathan sighed, and nodded. "Well, could you just tell Lucas that I need to talk to him?"

"You haven't answered my question, Nathan. What makes you think I would do that for you after what happened to Haley?" Brooke repeated.

His answer was almost immediate, but when he said it, he couldn't deny the swooping sensation in the pit of his stomach – like it was the best thing to say or admit in the world. "Because I love her."

Brooke was so shocked that at first, she couldn't bring herself to say anything. She didn't need to ask him if he was sure. The look in his eyes diminished any other doubt she had. For the first time since they talked, she gave him a small smile. "And I suppose you want me to keep that a secret?"

"For now. I can't tell Haley just yet – I don't think she'll believe me."

"If you told her that when you explained what happened, you probably wouldn't be here right now."

Nathan realized with dismay that Brooke was right. He had been too caught up with her emotions, as well as his, that he had forgotten to tell her altogether. "Just tell Lucas, alright?" He was just about to turn around and leave when her voice stopped him.

"Nathan – there's something I need to know."

He looked at her curiously, nodding in response.

"I need to know everything that happened the night you first met Haley."

* * *

"So I heard the jackass is back in town," drawled Peyton as she walked into the house. Haley was seated on the couch, watching _Entertainment Tonight_, looking depressed. They were featuring all of Nathan's past flings, and with every girl that they showed, Haley couldn't help but feel more inferior compared to them. Peyton sat next to her on the couch, taking the remote control and shutting the television off. "You really should stop watching those."

"I can't help it. It's kind of weird how I always watched this before, and I used to wonder how it would feel like to be so famous that I would be there as well. I had no idea it could feel so different." Haley said quietly.

"These people are always going to try and find a way to wreck whatever happiness you have, just to get a good story and more viewers. Haley, if you keep watching those shows, you're always going to doubt your relationship with Nathan."

"It never stopped Nathan from making me doubt it," said Haley sadly. "You know, from the very beginning, I always doubted it – even without the gossip shows. I've always wondered how we could make something like this work. Sometimes, I think that the most part of this is my fault. I put myself in this position, Peyt. I put myself in the open for Nathan – I gave everything to him, and I didn't care that I was eventually going to get hurt. I just did – and I suppose I'm paying for it now."

"Haley, Nathan is the kind of guy that needs a little push in the right direction. Before you, he was all about the booze and the women. Sure, he was rich and successful, but he wasn't happy – until he met you. Why do you think he immersed himself in alcohol and sex? He was just lonely, Haley. He needed someone like you in his life. He still does. You're changing him for the better, and you don't even know it."

"Then why do I feel like he's changing me for the worse? Peyton, none of this would have ever happened if it weren't for Nathan! I wouldn't be crying, or moping around, or feeling like a joke if it weren't for him!"

"Haley, feeling and doing all of that is _your_ choice! Just like it was _your_ choice to make Nathan leave when you knew that what happened wasn't his fault."

"I just wanted him to say that he loved me. When I was demanding to know what made me so different from all the other women he slept with, I wanted him to tell me that he loved me. It was the perfect time for him to say it, and he didn't. He just stood there, looking at me like he was sorry, but he couldn't bring himself to tell me that he loved me, and it just made me doubt things even more. I couldn't look at him."

"Then why didn't you tell him how _you_ felt? Maybe he was just uncertain of his feeling as you are, and he didn't know how you would react if he told you. Same as you."

Haley fell silent as she brushed her tears away. "I don't know what to think anymore."

Peyton pulled her into a comforting hug. "You two were lost before you met each other. You can't let something that is beyond your control wreck something so amazing. I know you're hurting right now, but you're going to have to forgive him sooner or later."

Haley pulled back, deep in her thoughts. She was nervously wringing her hands, which was obvious sign that there was something amiss. "You know, I feel like this is my fault because I accepted this whole arrangement with him. I could have said no, and if I was fired, I could easily find another dead-end job within the week, but I said yes – not because I wanted to keep my job."

"What are you trying to say?"

"Something happened that night with Nathan. There was something there. I mean, at first it was just casual sex. We didn't talk to each other – we didn't even know each other's names but then, Nathan said that I was lonely – that all I wanted was someone to see me. He told me that he wanted me in a whole new plane, he wanted more. And it scared me, but I opened up to him more than I ever opened up to anyone else. When he ran after me the next morning, all I wanted to do was say yes, but I ran. I was scared of how sudden my feelings were for him. I wasn't supposed to feel that way. So when I saw him again, a part of me wanted to feel that way all over again. I wanted to feel the way he made me feel, and so I took the job."

Peyton was silent for a moment, trying to take it all in. "Is that all that happened?"

Haley grasped Peyton's arm and whispered, "There's something else…"

**There you guys go! Next chapter is going to be all Naley and very dramatic, which I hope I can pull off. Look forward to next week. Cheers!**


	36. Secrets Revealed

**Hi guys! Thank you again for all the reviews; they were amazing. Just to warn you guys, I'm not sure when exactly I'll be able to update, because I'll be pretty busy with school for a while. Plus, I recently contracted the flu (again) and writing heavy, dramatic stuff can really take its toll on someone. I'm not promising anything, but I'll update as soon as I can. In the meantime, enjoy this chapter! Have you guys figured out what really happened between Nathan and Haley on their first night? You'll find out soon enough!**

**--Sera**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own a thing.

"There's something else…" Peyton waited with bated breath as Haley paused, wondering what else could have happened that night. A million and one guesses ran through the head, but with each possible idea, Peyton couldn't believe it would be something that her best friend would do. Maybe something Brooke would do – but definitely not Haley. Haley's big, brown eyes were full of anxiety and nervousness and her grip on Peyton's arm was getting tighter by the minute. Peyton wondered how bad it really was to make Haley act like she committed a crime.

"Hales, you know you can tell me anything. It's alright," assured Peyton.

"You don't understand, Peyton – it's _not _alright! It's anything but alright! Something happened that night that I can't take back!"

"Well, what happened then?"

"We –"

Before Haley could continue, there was a great deal of slamming on the front door, interrupting them. She stood up and was met by both Brooke and Nathan standing on the doorway. "Brooke? What are you doing here? And what is _he_ doing here?" She demanded.

"_He_ is here, because _he_ is supposed to be over here, fixing things with you! Instead, I came home to him sitting in front of the door to my apartment, waiting for my boyfriend to fix his problem with you!" Brooke shouted.

"He shouldn't even be here!" Haley cried.

"He shouldn't even be kicked out of his own house! How the hell does that even happen?!" Brooke threw back.

"You threw him out of here? How did you do that?" Peyton suddenly asked interestedly.

"I'm right here, you know." Nathan said indignantly.

Brooke turned to him, and Nathan could have sworn he saw her dark eyes flash red. "Which is where you should be, you asshole," she turned back to Haley. "You know what else, Hales? I asked him what else happened between you and him that night you first slept together, and do you know what he said? He said the exact same thing you told us, which tells us _nothing_ about what really happened!"

When Haley spoke, there was an obvious tone of panic in her voice, but she tried to keep it as steady as possible. It didn't fool any of them. "Nothing else happened but sex!"

"Really, Haley? Because we have been best friends practically our entire lives and have gone through our shares of ice cream buckets and cheerleading competitions, so I would obviously know that you're lying." Brooke said flatly.

Haley couldn't meet Brooke's eyes, much less for Nathan's. She was afraid that if she would gaze into those hypnotizing dark blue orbs of his, the secret would be out before she could even stop herself. "Brooke, nothing happened, I swear."

Seeing that Haley couldn't be persuaded until she and Nathan were alone, Peyton grabbed her arm as well as Nathan's, and began dragging them into the bedroom. "This worked for you both before, it should work again. Tell him everything, and do not leave until you and Nathan have fixed everything."

Before either of them could protest, the door quickly slammed shut, followed by a thud of something jamming the door closed. Haley swore under her breath and threw herself on the edge of the bed, burying her face into her hands. She couldn't handle this, not now – not with so much hanging above them.

"Haley, what really happened that night?" Nathan asked her, his voice obviously forced to sound as even as possible.

She refused to look up at him, not wanting his piercing gaze to break her resolve. She couldn't tell him now – it was too soon. And she sure as hell couldn't look at him now – she was certain that if she did, all the unspoken words would come tumbling out of her mouth, and she would cry. She didn't want to cry anymore – she didn't want to be vulnerable in front of him. She didn't want him to see how much she wanted him or needed him – or loved him. "Sex happened, Nathan. That's it."

"We made love that night, Haley."

"It was one time!"

"But it made all the difference, didn't it? We made love and I fell in –" Nathan stopped himself before he could admit something he wasn't ready to say. It was insane enough as it is – he couldn't immediately fall in love with a girl after making love to her once. But he did, and he didn't know how or why. It scared the shit out of him when he realized it, but there it was. "I mean, we made love and something else happened. I need to know what happened, Hales."

Haley instantly flared up, fire blazing in her hazel eyes. Her entire body was shaking from anger. "Don't call me that! Don't you _ever_ call me that! You have no right to call me that after what happened - after what you did – after you broke my heart!"

"I already came clean – told you everything down to the last letter, and apologized! What more could you possibly want?!" Nathan shouted back.

_I want you to tell me that you love me! I want to know that you feel the same way! I want to feel the way you made me feel that night – that you wanted everything with me – that you fell in love with me!_ Haley screamed in her head, but when she opened her mouth, she couldn't find the words. Her eyes were brimming with tears again, and as she struggled to hold them back, she could feel her heart break even more with every unspoken word.

"What are you hiding from me, Haley?"

"You are such an asshole! How dare you demand to know what I'm hiding, when you're hiding so much from me! You have done _nothing_ but make me cry and pine for you when you were gone, and when Peyton calls me into the living room, I see you shoving your tongue down some skank's throat – and you have the nerve to ask me what I'm hiding?!" Haley screamed at him.

"I told you everything! I was honest with you from the very beginning! Why can't you even bring yourself to believe me now? Have I hurt you that much, Haley?" Nathan asked her as he fought to keep his voice steady. Part of him wanted to shout in anger, and another part wanted to just stop. If something like this had happened to him before, he would have just walked away and let her believe what she wanted to believe. But now, he desperately wanted Haley to believe him – he didn't care if he had to fight for it.

Haley's hot tears began spilling down her cheeks when she heard those words from him. "Yes, Nathan – you have! You hurt me so much, and you don't even know it! You don't know how much I'm hurting right now! You have made me feel so many things for you and want so many things from you, and now that I'm feeling and wanting so much, disappointment is just too much to handle. You have made me doubt so much of this relationship, and so much of myself. I'm constantly worrying if I'm good enough for you, good enough for _the_ Nathan Scott, who has had so much women in his life that it just makes me feel so inferior!"

"Haley, you _are_ good enough for me – way more than enough! I don't deserve someone like you!"

"Then why do you always make me feel that you do? You're always pushing me away! You never let me in – not as much as I want you to! Don't look at me like you don't know what I'm talking about because I know you do! You've told me about Kiley, and your parents, and how basketball has been a part of your life, but when am I going to get that reassurance that you've let me in? Because every time I try to know something else about you, you just close up – you put up this wall and I can't get in."

"And like you don't? You're all about protective walls, Haley! You always have been. You had a protective wall that first night we spent together!" Nathan swore, angry at himself for shouting at her, making her feel that way, but right now – his temper was getting ahead of him. "Do you really want to know why I don't let you in? It's because I'm too scared to let you know how I feel! It's because I can't even trust myself with my own feelings, and now I have someone else to trust with my feelings too, and I don't know if I can do that. It's because I don't know what you would think or feel if I let you in. And it's because I have never let someone in like Kiley. She's my first love, and I feel as guilty as hell for feeling with you the same way I felt with her, if not more – so much more that it scares me, because we both know that it's way too soon."

"Nathan, _everything_ is way too soon in this relationship!"

"And what is so wrong with that?! Haley, I've come to accept a long time ago that we're rushing into things – and I get that, it just scares me because it's not who you are, or who I am. It's not something we do, or something we have ever done, but it's there, and it happens, and we can't help it. _I_ can't help it," he fixed his intense gaze on hers, letting himself get lost in her eyes. His heart was hammering against his chest, either from being so nervous or being in such a hurry to say it. He took a deep breath and steadily added, "Just like I can't help it that I fell in love with you."

Haley's eyes widened and she could have sworn she felt her heart stop. Was she hearing him correctly? She was so stunned that she couldn't say a thing. His words kept playing over and over in her head like a broken record, still in disbelief that he actually said it. "Nathan –"

"I love you, Haley. I fell in love with you the night we first made love and that was why I wanted to know your name. It was why I spent two years looking everywhere for the woman who made me want to be a better man, who – despite being a one-night stand made me want to see her again, and be with her for the rest of my life. It was why I couldn't let you in, because I was scared of what would happen if I told you. And, it _is_ why I'm standing here, thinking of ridiculously long speeches so I could hear her say it back, or hear her tell me I'm forgiven."

If Haley had been speechless before, it was nothing compared to right now. Her throat had gone dry and she was frozen on the spot where she stood. Why couldn't she say anything? There he was, professing his love for her – doing what she had wanted him to do for so long, and she couldn't bring herself to tell him that she loved him back.

Nathan gazed at her utterly shocked face, and simply nodded. "Look, I understand if you're not ready. I kind of expected something like that to happen. It's way too early in this relationship, if there is still one, anyway. Haley, I'm willing to wait for as long as whatever. I don't care if it takes weeks, or months, or years – because I do want you, and I love you more than anything or anyone. This is more than just a job, or an arrangement, or sex, or a careless fling. It has always been more than that – since day one. I just never expected that on the day I talked to the hottest girl in the room that I would talk to the girl I would love for the rest of my life."

Then he turned to leave, but suddenly, she spoke up. Her voice was small, timid and slightly hoarse – full of fear. "Something did happen that night, Nathan."

He turned back to her, patiently waiting for her to continue. He watched her wipe away tears from her face, trembling as she did.

"I got pregnant."

**I hope I was able to deliver the drama and the shocker well enough. I was sick in bed while writing this. So anyway, please review! Constructive criticism is always appreciated and duly noted. :)**


	37. All The More Reason To Love

**Hey guys. Thank you for all the reviews. Some of you expected the shocker, while some of you didn't. Now, the question is, what did Haley do about it? I'll be honest with you. I had this shocker planned since day one, but now that I actually got here, I was completely torn and had no idea what to do next. Basically, I had to rethink the whole thing, and I still have doubts about what I decided. Anyway, the important thing is you guys like it.**

**Oh, and I posted my new story ****Sway****, and I'd really appreciate it if you guys would check it out and tell me what you think.**

**Please review, and enjoy!**

**--Sera**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own a thing.

_There was something about the whole feel of a hospital. You never went there unless something wrong happened. And if you did go for a good reason, you were most likely to be leaving disappointed or upset. At least, that was what Haley thought. She had never stepped into a hospital her entire life. Okay, maybe a clinic or two, but not a hospital. There was an eerie sense of melancholy in the air, as if everyone around her was expecting bad news._

_Haley nervously wringed her fingers, refusing to look up. She didn't want to look at the next somber face of a doctor and wonder if he or she was her doctor. She didn't want to look him at the eye and hear the dreaded words come out of his mouth. What was she all worried about? She was of legal age – and working. It was perfectly normal to be pregnant at her age._

Not when the dad of your possible kid is a one-night stand in the form of Nathan Scott.

_How in the hell had she gotten herself into this sort of mess? If Haley knew anyone who was in this sort of predicament, she would have given them a long, winding lecture on safe sex and saving one's self for marriage. She would have probably even mentioned something about sex being something special shared between two people who loved each other with all of their hearts. It wasn't something that was carelessly done just because you were in the mood, and the guy who talked to you was impossibly hot._

_Haley bit her lower lip nervously, knowing that with each passing second, she was a second closer to knowing the truth. She remembered how she broke down when she missed her period a few weeks ago. Of course, it was nothing to be afraid of – but when you were her and had done something stupid like have sex without thinking of the consequences, you would break down as well._

_She felt immensely guilty about hiding it from Brooke and Peyton. They deserved to know; after all, they were her best friends. But Haley James couldn't bring herself to tell them. She couldn't even bring herself to admit it to herself – or to the nurse at the information awhile ago. Haley was the last person to be in a situation like this, and she couldn't bear to accept that she was. As far as Haley was concerned, she didn't know herself anymore. She wasn't the person she used to be – and she was no longer going to be that person. She had thrown all her morals and belief out the window for one night of sex. Regardless of the result, Haley was never going to be the old Haley James._

_She then felt someone tap her shoulder. Feeling her stomach drop – knowing exactly what that tap meant – she slowly turned around. She was met by the same nurse at the information desk awhile ago, smiling pleasantly at her, as if she had done this a million times before._

"_Miss James, thank you for waiting."_

_Haley merely nodded, too nervous to speak. Her mouth had gone dry, and she felt the slight tremors of anxiety race through her. Her gaze fell on the piece of paper in the nurse's hand. Her name was printed at the top but she couldn't see what else was written. Somehow, Haley found herself not wanting to know anymore. She could just go on with life, and see for herself if she really was carrying Nathan Scott's baby or not. She wasn't sure if she could really act calm and composed if she saw what else was written._

_The nurse held out the piece of paper to Haley. "Your results just came in. It's –"_

"_I'd really like a moment alone, if you don't mind." Haley quickly cut in before the nurse could continue._

_She smiled graciously in reply. "Of course,"_

_Haley watched her walk away, and felt her knees give in as she sank back onto the hard, plastic chairs. She willed herself to turn the paper over and look at it – just one peek, and she would know what she would have to do – but she couldn't. She really couldn't bring herself to. Still shaking, she reached into her purse and scanned her phonebook for the right name._

_She paused for just one moment before pressing the call button, and nervously waited for an answer. Within moments, she heard the familiar, comforting voice ask, "Haley – what's the news? What happened? What's the result?"_

_Haley could barely contain a sob, holding up a hand to her face as she tried to hide the tears that were falling. "I can't do it, Vivian. I have the results right now, but I can't look at the paper. I can't."_

"_Just look at it, Haley – and whatever happens, I'm here for you."_

"_Vivian, this is going to change everything! This is not who I am." Haley sobbed into the phone, completely forgetting that she was in a hospital waiting room, filled with people anxiously waiting for news of some sort. It was just lucky no one was paying any attention to her._

"_I'll be honest with you, Haley. When you called me about this, you were the last person I'd expect to one day tell me this. But you need to know that the people who love you will always be there for you, whatever happens."_

_There was a moment of silence on the other line._

"_We are all going to change who we are at one point or another in our lives. Some of us just need a radical change."_

"I got pregnant."

There it was. The three words all together in one sentence that Nathan had never expected to hear, even more so from Haley. He had always been careful when he slept around, even if he was drunk. The thought of just getting someone pregnant had always scared him, especially after what happened with Kiley. He didn't want to be so vulnerable again – getting so excited in the beginning, but ending up losing everything.

He couldn't believe that less than a minute ago, he was professing to her how much he loved her and now, he could barely believe what he just heard her say. Suddenly, he wished he didn't know – that he didn't plead that she tell him what she was hiding. He couldn't suppress the sickening feeling in his gut that was rising in his throat – something he knew he shouldn't feel.

"We were protected! I – I made sure of that!"

"Not when we made love, Nathan." She whispered to him, her voice so broken that if he weren't looking at her, he wouldn't have heard her.

The sickening feeling was getting worse and Nathan was practically swaying in the spot where he stood. "You're joking, right? I mean, this has got be a joke or something because –"

"Because you think that it would never happen to you? Nathan, this isn't a joke! This isn't something I would lie about just to get back at you for what you've done, because what I went through alone is _not_ a joke!" Haley screamed at him in tears.

"How could you lie to me like that, Haley?! How could you keep it from me for so long?!"

"What was I supposed to do? Just suddenly bring it up from out of nowhere? You don't know how hard it was for me to keep it from you – how hard it was to look you in the eye every day, and hide it from you! And when exactly was supposed to be the right time to tell you? We were happy, Nathan! _I_ was happy – I was happier than I've ever been with anyone else, and I was just going to ruin all of that? It's not something I'm proud of, Nathan. I threw all my morals and all that I believed in when I slept with you, and could you imagine how even worse I felt when I found out?"

If Nathan had been furious before, it was nothing compared to the shame he felt now. When he spoke, his voice was gentler, but there was no hiding the fear and dread in his voice. "Why didn't you come to me when you found out? I wanted to see you again. I told you that."

"So I could tell you I was pregnant? Be reasonable for just one minute, Nathan and try to see the sense in all of this. Imagine yourself just walking into your house one day and seeing me there and then hearing me tell you that I'm pregnant with your kid. It's not something you would want to hear."

"It beats hearing it now. It's been two years, Haley. Brooke and Peyton have no idea. How could you hide being pregnant – and then having a child – for two years?" He asked her.

He watched her eyes go teary again, and saw the heart-wrenching pain flit in them as she spoke. "It's because they never knew I was pregnant. After I got the results, I called my sister Vivian in Boston and went there, telling Brooke and Peyton that it was a family emergency, and I needed to deal with it on my own."

"So you spent nine months in Boston?"

"No. I spent four months there," she sighed when she saw the confused and questioning look on his face. "I lost the baby, Nathan."

There was that feeling again – the helpless, gut-wrenching pain Nathan felt when he lost Kiley. He had hoped that he would never feel it again, but there it was – slamming right at him so strongly like a brick wall that he fell. His legs gave way, and he fell on the floor, unable to speak.

Haley threw herself on the bed in frustration. She hated reliving everything that had happened – and now seeing Nathan's reaction just made it even worse.

"I couldn't hide it from Chris. If Brooke and Peyton believed me right away, Chris was instantly suspicious. He wanted to go there and see what was really going on. When he did, and he saw me pregnant – it was hell. We had this huge, huge fight – and he started – he started saying so many things I couldn't handle. He called me a slut, and a whore and it just – it went out of hand. He broke up with me that day, and I was devastated. When he left, I just broke down. The next morning, when I woke up – I was in the hospital. The doctors said it was because of so much stress that my body couldn't handle it. I lost the baby.

"It was a couple more months until I went back. When I did, Brooke and Peyton instantly noticed that something was different. I told them that Chris found out about me and you, and he broke up with me. They weren't suspicious about anything else, because by that time, I was getting better at hiding it. I mean, there were nights that I just broke down all over again, but I kept burying it and burying it, until it was so far down that it was almost like it never happened. I never thought it would come back to haunt me again."

Still shaking, Haley reached into her bag to pull out a worn-looking folder and gave it to him.

Nathan opened it to reveal a sonogram picture of a baby – _their_ baby. All throughout the time Haley was speaking, he couldn't look at her. He had been too busy trying to imagine what she had been going through, and he had never felt guiltier in his life. Just one disbelieving look at the sonogram gave him the strength to look her in the eye.

"I may not have wanted the baby in beginning, but I eventually did. I almost pictured how he would look like – just like you. I wanted the baby more than anything, because I thought that even if I didn't have you, I had your child. And I would have loved it as much as I love you, if not more."

Somehow, her words brought strength to him as Nathan stood up and pulled Haley into his arms, kissing her senseless. When he pulled away, they were both breathless. "I'm sorry, Haley. I've made so many mistakes in my life that I never cared about, but my mistakes with you are the worse. If I could take back every mistake I made with you, I would. I'm sorry you had to go through so much alone, and I'm sorry that I'm an assuming jackass, but I want you to know that I love you – and I always will."

He gently kissed away the tears falling from her eyes and held her close. He then held her at arm's length and remarked, "This is supposed to be the part when you tell me that you love me too."

Haley couldn't help but giggle at this point. "You know, the part when I said that I love you was from the heat of the moment."

Nathan threateningly gave her a look, making her laugh. "Haley …"

"I love you, too Nathan," she planted a kiss on his lips to reassure him, and sighed. "I honestly don't know how to Brooke and Peyton, though."

"Hey, if you were able to tell me, you can tell them. They're your best friends, Haley. Don't close them off." He told her.

Haley nodded. "I've always shut people out because I thought I could deal with things on my own. It looks like all I need is just someone to lean on."

"Which is why you have them – and me," said Nathan. "I'm here now, Haley – and I'm not going anywhere, I promise." He paused for a moment, then continued, "You know, a few days back, I told myself that I would make you love me. I didn't think we would through all of this to find out you already loved me."

"_Love_ you," corrected Haley, standing on tiptoe so she could give him a lingering kiss. "There's a difference."

Nathan mumbled something incoherently as they fell on the bed, still kissing. Haley let out a soft moan when his tongue parted her lips and found hers. A smirk started to play on his lips as he hungrily kissed her. When he pulled away, he remarked, "Now would probably be a good time to have sex, though."

She swatted his arm in reply. "Hey, just because all of this happened doesn't mean we're going to have sex."

"Sure it does. It could be really hot, make-up sex." Nathan chimed in.

Haley rolled her eyes at him as she pushed him off her. "Come on, we still have to tell them what happened."

"_We_? Why is there a 'we' all of a sudden?" He asked her as they climbed off the bed.

"Because _we_ don't get hot make-up sex until _we_ talk to our friends."

"Let's go talk to them." Nathan immediately said, quickly pulling Haley towards the bedroom door.

* * *

**Loved it? Hated it? Review!**


	38. Anticipation

**Thanks for all the awesome reviews, you guys. I'm so sorry my update took way too long. I know how frustrating it is waiting for the next chapter of a story to be updated, and I'm sorry I had to make you go through that. School has been really hectic for me lately. Anyway, I'm back, with the long-overdue update.**

**If you guys haven't checked out my new story yet, I'd really appreciate it if you do. I'm still pretty unsure of it right now.**

**Enjoy!**

**--Sera**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own a thing. If I did, things would be a _whole_ lot different on the show, let me tell you.

"Anybody home?" A voice called from the hallway.

Haley was in the bedroom when she heard Lucas' voice and immediately went out to greet him. She smiled as he walked over and gave her a tight hug. "Hey, Luke. Didn't Nathan tell you that he wouldn't be home right now?"

"I know that. I just came to pick up some papers," he gave her a little nudge. "And of course, I came to see how my buddy is doing."

"Oh, so we're '_buddies_' now?" Haley asked him, one of brows raised in amusement.

"So we aren't friends? I'm hurt, Haley. I really am," he said, pretending to be offended. "Well, it was either that, or sister-in-law, and you'd probably smack me on the head if I called you that. There's no rushing it, by the way." Lucas quickly added.

"Trust me; marriage is the _last_ thing on our minds. It's practically the least of our problems." Haley said as they walked into the kitchen.

Lucas frowned at her. "Am I missing something here? I thought things between you and Nathan was fine."

"It is. It's actually more than fine – it's just …"

"Just what?"

Haley was silent for a few moments as they both sat on the tall stools by the kitchen counter. When she spoke up, her voice was slightly hysterical. "Doesn't he feel cursed or something? I mean, he's only twenty-four years old, and he's already lost two babies to circumstances he couldn't control. I just – I feel so bad just thinking about it, and it's like he isn't even affected by any of this. I feel like I'm standing in the middle of a raging war, caught in the crossfire and conflict, and he's just sitting at the sidelines, waiting for something cool to happen. I don't understand how he can seem to be so – _fine _with this!"

Lucas smiled, placing a hand on her shoulder. "He may not show it to you, but he thinks about it – he thinks about you, and your baby, and most of all, what could have been. He thinks about it every day."

"Then why won't he show it to me so I don't have to feel like I'm the only one who's worried about all of this? I know we said that everything was fine, and everything was going to be okay, but you can't deny the fact that it happened. I remember it every time we talk, and it just hovers above everything like a disaster waiting to happen."

"Haley, Nathan is the kind of guy who would rather wallow in his own pain and misery instead of voicing it out to someone. Forget that it would gnaw him from the inside and he is torturing himself by keeping it all in, but Nathan is the last person to be completely open to anything, much less to something like that. Of all things he hates, on top of his list is probably the feeling of being vulnerable. Nathan's been through a lot in his life, and he's built a strong wall to hide behind in. If there's anything he hates to do, it's to be vulnerable, because he thinks that whenever that happens, someone is always bound to get hurt. He's never let anyone in completely in his entire life."

Haley was just about to say something when Lucas added, "Except for you."

She fell silent. It was funny how she and Nathan could have such opposing personalities, but when it came to the most important stuff – the stuff that really mattered – they were in sync the most.

* * *

"Hey, I'm leaving," announced Nathan as he walked into the living room. He went over to Haley, who was seated on the couch and planted a kiss on her cheek. The Lakers' big championship game was in a few weeks, and the team had been practicing religiously every early morning for days. Nathan didn't even need to be forced to wake up early. "Thanks." He told her, smiling slightly as he did.

Haley looked up from the magazine she was reading, her heart missing a beat when she gazed into those mesmerizing eyes of his. She had always wondered how it would be to have someone look at her that way – full of undeniable love. And now that she knew, it was even better than she ever imagined it could be. "For what? I didn't do anything."

Nathan shook his head as he buried his face into her neck, breathing in her intoxicating scent. He couldn't help but smirk when he heard a low moan elicit from her throat when his lips began to play with her bare skin. "Oh baby, you did everything. You've been nothing but supportive of me – especially with all these early morning practices. You wake up at least an hour ahead of me every day, and wait for me to come home, even if it's way too late. And that's nothing compared to the other stuff you've done."

Haley gently tucked a finger beneath his chin and lifted his head up, her eyes sparkling mischievously. "I'd do anything for you, Nathan. You know that. Besides, that's what the hot girlfriend is supposed to do – support her man."

"I agree with you on two things there; one is that you are really, _really_ hot," he grinned at her slyly, his eyes surveying her from head to toe appreciatively. He loved how she was dressed this morning; one of his polo shirts hastily buttoned over a pair of black, lacy undergarments. It didn't leave much to the imagination - and with his overactive imagination, it was just the way he liked it. He smoothly maneuvered himself on the couch so she was lying comfortably on the couch, his entire body covering hers. "And two, is that I love how you 'support' me."

Haley rolled her eyes at him. "I thought you were just about to leave."

"How can I leave – with you sitting there and looking so hot that it's impossible to ignore?" Nathan asked, his voice a notch deeper as his lips began to nuzzle the side of her face. His fingers were deftly unbuttoning the polo shirt, practically itching to touch her soft, warm skin. When his gaze fell on her breasts and how they were heaving beneath the lacy black bra cups, he immediately felt his pants tighten. "You're so beautiful, Haley."

"Stop talking and kiss me," she ordered, as she impatiently yanked on the collars of his shirt to bring his face closer to hers. Her entire body was already on fire with just the way he hungrily looked at her. Just the ravenous glint in his eyes, and the obvious bulge in the fly of his pants drove her insane, just wondering what could possibly be running through his mind. All she knew was, it was not too far from what she was thinking of now.

Chuckling at her impatience, Nathan kissed her, his tongue expertly parting her lips and slipping inside. He felt himself harden even some more when his tongue found hers, and he could've sworn that he felt a crackle of electricity when they touched. He explored every hot inch and crevice of her mouth, air becoming lesser and lesser of an issue. He cradled her nape in one hand, his other hand intertwining with hers as they kissed. She breathed raggedly with every short, quick gasp of air between kisses so intense that it rocked both of them to the core. His heart was hammering against his chest, in tune with hers and he felt his love for her grow with every heartbeat. The kisses were noticeably gentler this time, but there was no denying the raw, burning desire underneath it all.

Haley's fingernails were digging deep into his shoulders as she pulled him closer to him, so her body was pressed against his. The feel of her body on his, even fully clothed was staggering. He wanted more – his entire body was yearning for more than feather-light touches over fabric. His fingers were itching to move lower to where her legs met, already knowing that if he did touch her there, the fabric would be soaking wet. She was practically writhing beneath him as they shared one hot, open-mouthed kiss after another.

Nathan knew that if they didn't stop any sooner, things would get out of the hand, and it was something they both weren't ready for just yet. He reluctantly pulled away, immediately regretting it when he saw disappointment on her beautiful features. "I'm sorry, Haley – it's just – I want to respect your decision."

"It's hard to keep decisions like that when you're one hell of an amazing kisser," muttered Haley, pouting. "Nathan, I know that we both want to wait for the right time for us to make love again, but if you keep kissing me that way and turning me on, I don't think the waiting would be that long."

Nathan laughed as he helped her sit up. He gave her a lingering kiss while he slowly buttoned the polo shirt again. "I love our make-out sessions, Haley. It's like a preview of what it'll be like on the night we make love, and hell – I'm looking forward to it even more."

Haley sighed. "Nathan, I love the fact that we're taking things slow and waiting for the right time, but really – you being hot, and all this long 'previews' – I'm not going to last long. I mean, how do we even know it'll be the right time?"

"We'll know it." He assured her.

"Nathan, I don't need roses or scented candles or a penthouse in London. What's important is that it's with you."

"I just want it to be memorable, Hales. Actually, the sex will be so mind-blowing that it's more than memorable, but I love you too much to just let it be like any other 'first night.' I want that night to be more than any other night. I want it to be more than all the other nights with other women. You deserve roses, scented candles, a penthouse in London and so much more." Nathan told her.

Despite the sweetness in Nathan's words, it was overshadowed by Haley's stubborn and simple nature. "Nathan, I don't want anything lavish." She admonished.

"Who said anything about being lavish?" He was just about to say something else, but was interrupted by the faint vibrations of his cell phone in his jeans pocket. Nathan sighed when he saw the name blinking on the screen. "I guess that's my cue to leave. I'll see you when I get back."

Haley nodded, moving up to give him a kiss good-bye. "Good luck today, and remember – nothing lavish. I love you, Nathan."

"I love you, too." He was just about to leave when he turned around and grinned at her, his eyes twinkling mischievously. "Have you watched the weather channel lately? I heard there's a rainstorm coming."


	39. Letting Me In

**Hey guys! This is the chapter most of you have probably been looking forward to, and let me tell you – I wrote and rewrote this about a dozen times in a dozen different ways. I am practically swimming in uncharted territories, so I really hope I don't disappoint. Constructive criticism is always appreciated and duly noted.**

**--Sera**

* * *

**Warning: **This chapter contains mature sexual content, so if it offends you, just don't read it.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own a thing.

"_Just a week and a few days after another alleged Nathan Scott affair, we spotted him and his current girlfriend of two months, Haley James last night getting all hot and heavy in the rain. A little make-up sex, anyone? We're sure Nathan wouldn't mind."_

_**Two days earlier**_

Haley was in the living room, engrossed in whatever she was typing into her laptop when Brooke suddenly walked in. As usual, she was as bubbly and prying as ever. "Hey, Tutor Girl. Do you want a cup of coffee? You must be so exhausted after what, two rounds with Boy Toy last night?"

Haley merely smiled, choosing to ignore what Brooke said. "Hey to you, too. Where's Peyton?"

"At home with Jake. She's getting more and more pregnant every day, and you know what that means – she's hormonal. She's even whinier and bitchier than her usual whiny and bitchy self. Add that to Brooke, and it equals a very annoyed and pissed off me, so here I am." Brooke explained brightly.

Haley looked at her; an expression of mild amusement etched on her face, and asked, "So what makes me so lucky to be bothered by you?"

"Lucas wasn't home today. If he were, I would have distracted him from whatever boring thing he was doing." Brooke answered with a wave of her hand.

"Kind of like what you're doing to me?"

"Okay, ew. What I was insinuating with Lucas is something that should never, _ever_ be associated with you – at all." Brooke said, making a face.

"What is with your relationship with Lucas, anyway? Is this another one of your completely physical, non-exclusive gimmicks again?"

The brunette shook her head in reply. "I am so over that. I came to realize that even hot non-exclusive sex includes the tied-up emotions I've been trying to avoid in the first place. Sex may be sex for some guys, but it will always mean something for a girl, no matter how many times she has done it."

Haley was silent for a moment, replaying in her head what Brooke just said. "So you and Lucas – it's definitely not a non-exclusive, sex-only thing?"

"Definitely not," echoed Brooke, nodding. "Okay, maybe I thought it was for the few days, but being with him is different. Don't get me wrong, the sex is more than amazing – and the look you're giving me right now says I shouldn't expound on that, so I won't – but Lucas is the kind of guy who makes you want more than the physical stuff, and he delivers. Every day. He may seem like a stuck-up and boring writer, but the truth is, he is anything but those things. Lucas makes me look forward to seeing him – seeing what he has in store for me. We may disagree on a lot of things, but at the end of the day, he makes me realize that he's all I want, and he's all I've been looking for."

Haley smiled and hugged her best friend, genuinely happy for her. "It's about time you've found what you've been looking for, Brooke. I don't think I could stand you forcing me to accompany you while you go speed dating."

"Hey, those were actually fun," pouted Brooke, laughing. "And don't think all this gushy Lucas talk is going to make me forget what I really came here to talk to you about."

Instantly knowing what Brooke meant, Haley groaned. "I am not going to tell you how it was."

"Why not? We've been planning this for ages! Once you actually have sober sex, we're going to gush and squeal and laugh about it nonstop!"

"Brooke, _you've_ been planning it for ages, not me," corrected Haley. "Besides, there's nothing to tell."

"What do you mean there's nothing to tell! Nathan is brothers with Lucas, and judging from what Lucas is capable of – there is _lots_ to tell!"

"There's nothing to tell because nothing has happened." Haley finally said in an exasperated voice.

"Wait, what? No make-up sex? How is possible that you haven't had make-up sex with him yet? Hales, it's been like, a week since you two made up! I don't understand how you still haven't had make-up sex –" Brooke paused, her eyes widening. "Oh my God, please don't tell me you told him you wanted to wait again."

"Why is that such a bad thing?" Haley demanded indignantly. "Can't I wait for the right moment?"

"Haley, how will you even know if it's the right moment? Or if there will ever be a right moment?'

"I just do, Brooke. It's just the kind of thing you know when you're in love. Believe me, I've thought about this a lot, and Nathan has, too. He respects my decision, and he's willing to wait. Don't give me that look, I know we only have a month left," admonished Haley, but there was no denying the slight waver in her voice. "I'm not going anywhere. And Nathan isn't, either."

* * *

"Hey," greeted Nathan as he walked into the living room. He bent down to give Haley a kiss. "Are you doing anything particularly important tonight?"

"Well, I was going to work on that article about you," replied Haley, looking up at him. "You know we only have a month left?"

"It's thirty days. You can work on it then. Right now, we can take a walk around the neighborhood," said Nathan, taking Haley's hand so he could pull her up from the couch. "It's a nice day today."

Haley glanced up at the sky as they walked outside. "It's cloudy."

Nathan merely smirked at her. "Like I said, it's a nice day."

They walked in silence for awhile, Nathan's arm around her, holding her close to his side. Occasionally, a few fans approached them to ask for Nathan's autograph, but they quickly resumed their serene silence as they stared at the distance, often to gaze at the sunset, immersed in their own thoughts.

Nathan glanced at her, noticing the faraway look in her eyes. "You want to tell me what's on your mind?"

"You're going to think it's stupid."

"Haley, nothing you will ever say is stupid to me. Besides, we still have a couple blocks left, and I'm pretty sure that distance can cover whatever you have to say." He encouraged her, giving her a reassuring smile.

She sighed. "I've just – I've been thinking about us for awhile, and there are some things I can't get my mind off."

"Like what?"

"Like – the baby that we lost, for starters. Nathan, when I lost the baby, I was devastated. I didn't know you then, and I practically hated you, but when I lost the baby, it was like my entire world came to a complete stop, and no one or nothing else mattered. All I felt was the pain, the regret and all the what-if's and what-could-have-been's. I was a complete wreck for months. You, on the other hand, came to know this only recently, and it's like nothing happened for you. Don't you feel a sense of regret or pain because of the loss? Because I still feel it, especially at times when I think of you, and what we could be now if the baby ever lived," Haley was running a frustrated hand through her hair, her gaze worried. "You've lost two babies in your lifetime, Nathan. Doesn't that bother you?"

Nathan tore his gaze away, keeping his eyes steady at a distance. His grip on her shoulder was noticeably tighter, her voice grimmer. "It does, Hales. It bothers me every day. It bothers me when I wake up in the morning. It bothers me when I see kids and their parents. It bothers me when I can't stop myself from looking at that ultrasound of our baby. And it bothers me every time I look at you."

"Why don't you tell me this?"

"So I could worry or upset you some more? Haley, when you told me about our baby, I knew it took its toll on you. I knew that that was probably the most difficult thing you've ever done. Haley, it killed me to realize that you've buried your pain so deep inside of you all those years, and that I was the cause for it. If anything, I didn't want to bring up my worries or that I think of it every day because I didn't want to hurt you anymore. And if that meant that I had to suffer with my own thoughts and worries, it was okay. I love you, Hales – and I don't want to put you through that anymore."

Haley was so taken aback by what Nathan said that she had stopped in her tracks. He pulled her into his arms, holding her against him as he repeatedly whispered that he loved her. She didn't cry anymore, but she reveled in the comfort of his grasp and the promises of his words, wishing all the doubts and the fears she had would go away. She knew that the only way to do that was to talk about it. "There's this other thing."

"What?"

"We only have a month left."

Nathan didn't need an explanation from her so he would understand. He tucked a finger beneath her chin and gently lifted her head up so he was looking into her eyes. "I'm not going anywhere. This isn't going to end thirty days from now, I can promise you that. Haley, I love you, and there's no way I'm going to let this end. I promise."

Something in the way he looked at her, and the way he said those words so sincerely made Haley's uncertainty lift slightly. She closed her eyes, burying her face into his chest, trying desperately to make herself believe him. "This isn't going to end." She repeated softly, feeling his lips press into the top of her head, and for one moment – even just one – she let herself believe in a promise.

* * *

"I don't want to end this walk with something so dramatic," said Haley as they started walking back to the house. It was already dark out and probably pretty late because there were hardly any people in the streets. "Tell me a good memory."

Nathan was quiet for a moment as he pondered on what he was going to say. "When I was around nine or ten, my dad used to take me out for a run. It was a run to condition myself for games, and we ran around the neighborhood for hours, and he would yell insults at me like some drill sergeant so I would run faster. I ran and ran and ran until I couldn't feel my legs anymore, and that I was too weak to stand or even move. But when I got home, and dad would leave to have another one of his affairs, my mom would come up to my room, give me some soup and talk to me so I would forget the ache in my legs. It got so bad that she had to stay there all night, just talking to me until we would both eventually fall asleep. I used to hate those days, but I came to love and look forward to them because it was one of the rare days that my mom was sober and I got to spend time with her. It didn't matter that it was only once a week, or that I only got to experience this for a few months, because in those few months – I felt what it was like to have a mom."

When he glanced down at Haley, her eyes were wet with tears. "I'm sorry Hales, I didn't mean to –"

"I love you, Nathan Scott. You know that?" She told him, standing on tiptoe so she could give him a kiss.

Nathan glanced up at the sky for the umpteenth time that night. They had been out for hours, and still, it hadn't rained. He had been hopeful for the first few hours, but he had begun to lose hope. It didn't seem like tonight was their night.

"Nathan, you've been looking up at the sky every couple of minutes. It's not going to rain." Haley told him.

"I know," replied Nathan wistfully. "I was hoping it would."

She frowned up at him. "Why would you hope for rain?"

"I don't know – I just – I had tonight all planned, we were going to talk, spend some time with each other, sort of like waiting for the rain," he sighed at the look of confusion on Haley's face. "Tonight was supposed to be our night, Hales. I had it all planned out; the walks, the talking, the rain – possibly making love _in_ the rain – everything."

Haley smiled, partly amused at his disappointed expression, but mostly touched. It wasn't much but it was everything to her. How could she not love this man? She pulled him closer to her, pressing her lips to his and kissing him with as much enthusiasm as possible. When they parted, they were both breathless. "Nathan, as much as I adore what you've done, we don't need the rain. You only need me."

"But Hales, this is going to be like any other night." Nathan argued.

Before Haley could respond, suddenly, small droplets began to fall on them. They both looked up at the sky, the rain slowly starting to get stronger as they looked on. When she looked back at him, Nathan was smiling from ear to ear. He pulled her into his arms, tucking strands of wet hair behind her ear. "Look Hales – _rain_."

"I can see that, Nathan," laughed Haley. "I guess we both know what this means."

Nathan's mouth crashed on hers, his tongue parting her lips and going in search for hers. Haley moaned into his mouth when their tongues came in contact, and each kiss only heightened their want for each other. All other thought was forgotten; what only mattered now was them – and tonight. It was addicting, this kiss – every touch of their tongue, every taste only made them want more.

Nathan gently pushed him away, just far enough so their faces were inches from each other. He didn't know how long they had been kissing, and he didn't care. "You want to take this inside?" He asked her huskily.

"I thought you'd never ask," she answered, a soft smile playing on her lips.

In a daze, they walked back to the house, which was surprisingly, only a few more meters away from them. The next thing Haley knew, they were in the bedroom, moonlight shining through the window and rain pattering on the glass. They stood at the foot of the bed, still kissing passionately.

"We don't have to do this," whispered Nathan, his forehead pressed against hers.

Haley looked up at him, and recognized the look in his eyes. She had seen that look in his eyes before, seen it many times. It happened every time they shared long, passion-filled kisses, their want for each other almost unbearable, too difficult to hold back – their promises to wait teetering dangerously over the edge. His eyes clouded over with lust, the kid that sent her hormones into overdrive. And yet, she still saw the underlying doubt there, questioning her if it was alright. His genuine concern for her, and the way he always thought of her before anything only made her love him more.

She saw that look again tonight, clearer than ever. But unlike the other times, this time – she shook her head. "I want this."

Nathan's gaze was questioning. "Are you sure?"

"Nathan, tonight has been amazing. We've let each other in today more than we ever have before, more than we ever have with anyone, and I want to let you in – completely," she let her fingers graze his chest, lingering there. "I love you."

The way he gazed at her sent her heart racing. "I love you, too."

"I want this," repeated Haley, her voice firmer this time. "I want you."

"God Hales, you have no idea how much that just turned me on," groaned Nathan, burying his face into the crook of her neck.

"I think I have a pretty good idea." Haley giggled, her gaze falling to his erection straining against his jeans.

He chuckled for a bit and began planting soft kisses on her neck. Haley's breath hitched in her throat at the contact, the teasing mood suddenly gone. His lips reached the spot beneath her ear, letting his tongue lave it. She moaned loudly, pulling him by the collar against her as they both fell onto the bed, Nathan hovering above her.

Nathan groaned when he felt her soft body press into his, practically melded by her wet clothes. His entire body hummed in anticipation of what was to come, what he had endlessly fantasized about every sleepless night – making love to Haley, in every context of the term. He loved her, loved her more than he ever thought he could and he wanted to show her how much he did. He wanted tonight to be theirs.

Slowly, he bent down to give her a kiss, and as if by instinct, she parted her lips to give him entrance. It started out slow enough, but the intensity grew with every kiss, their tongues fighting for control. Feeling a little daring, Haley traced the outline of his lips with her tongue, and then moving on to the inner linings of his mouth until her tongue found his. Their tongues were frantic, almost desperate – wanting. With each kiss, Haley arched closer and closer to him.

Nathan was actually trembling as he slowly unbuttoned her blouse and peeled it off her skin. All the blood rushed south when he saw her in her a lacy black bra, her breasts practically straining against the fabric. When his hand reached down to pull off her skirt, he was surprised to feel nothing but her silk underwear. He couldn't help but stare at her hungrily, his eyes devouring her.

She shrugged, her eyes teasing. "I thought you knew I already did it."

"Good God Hales, you are incredibly beautiful," breathed Nathan, his voice suddenly hoarse. His pants were becoming uncomfortably tighter than he thought possible. He smirked, enjoying seeing that her blush spread all over her body. "How about you give me a little help?"

He could sense her nerves starting to begin, and he gave her a reassuring peck on the lips. Her fingers were visibly trembling as they reached out to Nathan's shirt as she pulled it off him. She couldn't help but stare at his chiseled, perfectly planed chest, forgetting the sudden rush of cold air enveloping her nearly naked body. Haley couldn't bring herself to unbutton the clasp on his jeans, and she looked up at him nervously. Nathan gently took her hands and guided them to his pants, but she was shaking now and he immediately stopped. "Hales, I'm sorry – if you're uncomfortable with this, we could stop –"

"No!" She nearly shouted. "No. I want to – I want to do this. I'm just – nervous."

"It'll be fine, Haley. I promise. It'll be worth the nerves," he winked at her, making her relax a bit. He got off the bed, ridding himself of the jeans. Haley started to be more aware of the cold, but it was immediately gone when he covered her with his body, engulfing her with warmth. She felt his erection pressing intimately against her, and she squirmed, nerves taking over once more. To distract her, Nathan kissed her again, and this seemed to work because she was slowly starting to loosen up.

He slipped a hand beneath her back, his fingers poised to unclasp her bra, but his gaze was back at her, inquiring. Haley nodded, her heart racing even faster when she felt the clasp come undone. He carefully slipped the straps off her shoulders and pulled it off her. She couldn't look at him in the eye, afraid of what he would think of her.

"You're beautiful, Hales," he told her. "So goddamned beautiful."

Nathan moved down and kissed her again, his lips moving languorously over hers. She was just getting into the kiss when she felt his hand cover her breast, his fingers slowly rubbing over her nipple. Haley was squirming under him, her entire body on fire. When his lips replaced his fingers, her sudden moan nearly made him spill a load. She was so responsive to him – every touch and kiss, she had a wonderful response. He treated both breasts the same way, loving the way she whimpered his name.

His other hand slipped lower to her abdomen, tracing the soft skin there. He gazed down at Haley, her eyes squeezed shut as he whispered, "I'm going to touch you, Haley. If I do anything that scares you or if I go too fast, just tell me, okay?"

She nodded, her eyes still tightly shut.

"Hales, look at me," Nathan's voice was gentle and comforting. "It's okay if you want to stop. We don't have to do this. Just say so."

"Touch me, Nathan," whispered Haley. "I want to feel you."

Nathan muttered an expletive at her words, his arousal straining against the fabric of his boxers. He wanted to be in her right now, but he couldn't – not yet, anyway.

He planted kisses on her breasts, his tongue laving her nipples, making her writhe beneath him. Nathan gently slipped off her panties, groaning when he saw how wet she was for him. Slowly, his hand reached down to touch her, his finger lightly tracing around her entrance. He instantly looked up at her, pleading with her if it was alright. She merely nodded at him beneath half-lidded eyes as she savored the sensations coursing through her body. Haley moaned his name, arching into his hand, wanting him to continue. When he slipped a finger into her, she cried out his name, burying her face into his neck. He began to move within her, his erection throbbing when he felt her inner muscles clench around his finger.

He slipped another finger in, allowing her body to get used to the friction, preparing her for what was to come. Nathan knew she was close; he was, too and he no longer wanted to waste any time. He wanted to be in her now; he wanted to claim her as his. "Hales, I'm going to – just, tell me if you want to stop."

"Damn you Nathan if you stop now," breathed Haley, still able to glare at him.

Nathan couldn't suppress a grin as he climbed out of his boxers, tossing them on the floor. His grin widened when she saw Haley's almost-entranced gaze on him, and when he caught her staring, he was pleased to see her blush deeply again. He latched his lips on a patch of her neck, licking and sucking, trying to leave a mark, his fingers back to where they were previously. She was pleading for him now, practically grasping his shoulders and arms, thrashing her legs around him.

He knew that this was going to hurt her, and if there was a way for her not to feel the pain, he would do it. Nathan bent down and whispered, "I love you, Haley. God, I love you so much," he waited for her to whisper it back as he poised himself at her entrance. He gently pushed himself into her, one hot inch at a time, stopping every now and then so her body would get used to the friction.

Nathan grimaced when he felt Haley stiffen beneath him, and he felt even guiltier when he heard her suppress a strangled sob. He kept on whispering apologies to her, kissing away her tears. "I'm so sorry, baby,"

"Please don't be sorry, Nathan," she said softly. "I love you – and I love that you're so considerate of me. It's okay," Haley tried to move up at him, taking in a sharp intake of breath at the delicious friction. "Oh my God."

Nathan began moving himself in and out of her, his pace steady. "Look at me, Hales," he murmured huskily, and when she did with her eyes full of desire, he quickened his pace. Their slick, sweaty bodies, devoid of the rain previously, moved in unison with each other, Haley's gasps of pleasure echoing within the room. He could feel the tingling at the base of his spine, willing himself to hold back. He wanted to come with her. Slipping a hand between them, he rubbed his fingers against her swollen bud, making her cry out in pleasure, arching further up at him. He moved even faster, burying himself deep within her with each thrust. He felt Haley's body suddenly jerk beneath him, and she was crying out his name, her fingernails digging deeply into his back. Her screams was Nathan's undoing, as stars burst in front of his tightly shut eyes as he spilled himself into her, his entire body shuddering as if the tremors wouldn't end.

Nathan rolled off her and she immediately curled up against him, still breathing heavily. They lay in silence for a while, content and completely sated, still shaken by the intensity of what they had just done. Haley looked up at him and shyly asked, "Nathan, how – how was I?"

Nathan didn't immediately answer. He gazed down at her, his fingers interlocking with hers. "Haley, I'm not going to lie here and tell you how good it was like it's some random one night stand. What we just shared and who you are to me is nothing like a one night stand," he saw the worried look on Haley's face and he lifted her hand up for a kiss. "I'm sorry that I have a past, Hales. I know it worries you a lot, and I know you can't help but compare yourself to them. I love you Haley, and I will never share something that special or that amazing with someone else. I don't think I can, and I don't want to."

Haley was silent for a moment, her fingers playing with his. "It's impossible to love someone the way I love you, Nathan."

He responded with a hungry kiss that left them both wanting more. She pulled away, her body already yearning to feel him again. "Was it good enough for a second round?"

"Only two?" Nathan teased, rolling Haley so she was lying on top of him. "Baby, we can go all night."


	40. The Morning After

**Hey everyone! Thank you so much for your awesome feedback. I'm sorry it took so long for an update. My muse has deserted me for some time but he is back, and so I finally finished this chapter today. I'd love to know what you think!**

**--Sera**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own a thing.

**Warning: **This chapter contains mature sexual content.

The early morning sunlight was streaming through the bedroom window, illuminating the bedroom. The rays hit the floor, showing discarded clothes strewn all over and even some pillows lying on the foot of the bed. The rays reached the bed, causing Haley to stir. She rubbed her eyes and turned to the right side of the bed when she was met by Nathan's startling blue eyes.

She gave a little jump, holding her heart to her chest as she breathed deeply. "Jesus, Nathan – you scared me."

He gave a little chuckle. "Well good morning to you, too," he bent down to give her a kiss. "Sorry I scared you."

"Have you been watching me sleep all night? If I didn't know you any better, I'd say you were creepy," teased Haley, snuggling up to him. She then looked up at him with a little frown. "Since when do you wake up earlier than me?"

"Since I rode you dead tired last night – pardon the pun," he smirked at her when she blushed deeply. "I've always loved it when you blush and I love it even more now that I know you blush everywhere."

He was lightly running his fingers up and down her back, lingering on her lower back where he traced small circles. Haley's eyes fluttered close, her entire body tingling when he touched her. He rolled over so that he was on top of her, resting his weight on his forearms. "You sure you're not too tired for another round?"

"Hell no," murmured Haley against his lips. She parted her lips for him as he swiftly entered her mouth, savoring her taste. Their kiss was languorous and relaxed, as if he was taking his sweet time giving her pleasure. Haley pulled away, gasping. "God, I love you."

"I love you, too," replied Nathan, his lips moving to her neck. He smirked at the mark he left last night, imagining her reaction when she would see in the mirror later. He laved the spot once again with his tongue, making her whimper as she arched herself against him. Nathan felt his erection throbbing even more at the contact as his lips left a hot, wet trail on her neck. His hand moved from her back to her flat stomach and up to her breasts, his entire body shuddering when he felt her soft skin against his hand.

Haley's mewls of pleasure heightened at the contact as she arched herself even further up against him, her legs wrapping around his waist to pull him against her. She could feel his arousal pressing intimately against hers, her heart pounding against her chest, blood rushing everywhere as she felt the dizzying sensations overcome her. Haley tried to push him, writhing beneath him as she pleaded for more – she wanted him, and she wanted him _now_. Nathan, however, wouldn't budge as he continued his ministrations on her breasts and neck. She swore loudly, thrashing her head back on the pillow when his mouth and tongue replaced his hands. Nathan's hand slipped lower, gently touching her as he continued leaving wet kisses on her breasts.

His skillful fingers were driving her crazy; one moment they were soft and gentle, and the next, they were rough and demanding. Haley was becoming more and more agitated the longer he teased her. She opened her eyes only to see his gaze intent on her, the dark blue orbs several shades darker than usual – full of raw desire, want and need for her, and yet she saw the love shimmering from them – the gaze he only had for her. Beads of sweat were forming at his hairline, his brows furrowed in concentration, as if he was doing all he can to keep himself from coming.

"Nathan," whimpered Haley, arching against his erection to show him what she wanted.

Nathan muttered an expletive, his eyes tightly shut as he tried to hold back. His lips went to her ear as he hissed, "Tell me what you want, baby."

The sensations Haley was experiencing were so intense, so strong that she couldn't speak or even think coherently. Her entire body felt as though it was on fire, every inch of her skin slick with her sweat combined with his but burning with desire – ignited by Nathan's lips and touch. "Nathan, please,"

"Not until you tell me what you want," he insisted, his voice so low and husky that a chill ran through Haley's spine just hearing it.

"I want you in me, Nathan – I want to feel you in me," she panted into his ear. She let out a gasp as he abruptly entered her, pushing himself to the hilt so he was buried completely inside of her. Haley could've sworn that her heart had stopped beating as she froze. He filled her up completely, practically leaving no space to move an inch. She could tell he was suddenly nervous and worried that he could hurt her. She smiled weakly up at him. "It's okay. I mean, nothing I haven't felt before."

Nathan couldn't help but chuckle at that as he buried his face into the crook of her neck, planting kisses on her skin. "I love you, Haley." He repeated before capturing her lips with his and ravishing her hungrily, letting her sweet taste fill his mouth.

Haley was so distracted with the intensity of the kiss that she almost forgot he was in her until he began to move in and out in a slow and steady pace. Their bodies moved in unison as their gasps of pleasure filled the entire room, the headboard of the huge, king-sized bed slamming against the wall with every swift movement. Haley's fingers moved to cup his face as she kissed him fiercely, her tongue mimicking what their lower bodies were doing. Nathan groaned as he pulled away, gasping for air. He took one of her legs and swung it to wrap around his waist so he could gain better access.

Haley began to lay hot, wet kisses on his neck, which quickly became Nathan's undoing. "Come with me, Hales," he whispered, pushing himself deeply into her with every thrust. Sure enough, she felt the familiar tingling at the base of her spine as she came, the waves of pleasure riding her to no end. Haley's scream of his name echoing off the walls pushed Nathan off the edge as he burst into her, shuddering at the release.

After a few minutes of lying motionless that way, he rolled off her, exhausted and spent. "I could spend the rest of my life waking up that way." He grinned at her as he gently wiped off the sweat dripping down the side of Haley's face.

She merely giggled, curling up against him, inhaling his familiar scent. "You know, sooner or later, we're going to have to leave this bed."

"Well, thanks for ruining the moment, Hales," said Nathan, pretending to be offended.

Haley gave him a playful swat on the arm. "Oh, you know what I mean. You, mister, have to get to practice or else your coach will have my head."

"But I'm way too tired to be running suicides and practicing free throws," whined Nathan. "I could barely even move."

"And whose fault is that? You're the one who insinuated it." Haley admonished.

"Well, when a guy has a girlfriend who is incredibly beautiful like you, it can't be helped." Nathan argued, grinning at her.

"You're right about one thing – I am incredibly beautiful, aren't I?" Haley teased.

He laughed, bending down to give her a kiss on the forehead. "Cocky much?"

"It's not my fault. Your arrogance is contagious," she pushed herself up to kiss him deeply. When she pulled away, she was getting dizzy again. "Apparently, so is your libido."

Nathan roared with laughter. "It's part of my charm."

"I'm sure it is," her eyes drifted to the alarm clock sitting on the bedside table. "You better start getting ready because if we keep this up, you'll be late for practice."

"Oh c'mon Hales, it's not like I haven't been late before," he suddenly desisted when he saw the stern look on her face. Reluctantly, he disentangled himself from her and got up. "Okay, okay, Miss Bossy, I'm getting up."

Nathan couldn't help but smirk when he noticed how Haley was blushing as she stared as his naked body as he walked to the bathroom. He was just about to shut the door when his head poked through the gap calling out, "Hey, how about you join me? Maybe this shower would take faster if you helped me out."

"I'm serious, Nathan, take that shower." Haley called back as she got up as well, walking to the cabinet standing next to the bathroom door.

"I will take that shower," he suddenly grabbed her and pulled her inside the bathroom only to kiss her hungrily. "As long as you take it with me."

Haley was so dazed that she couldn't even bring herself to think of a comeback. "Yeah, sure," she muttered, throwing herself at him as he carried her into the shower, laughing triumphantly.

* * *

The delicious smell of cooking pancakes wafted from the kitchen as Nathan walked into the kitchen. He gave Haley a quick kiss before announcing, "Look who's here."

Haley looked up from the stove to see Lucas and Brooke, smiling broadly at her. "Hey, you two."

Brooke had a triumphant smile on her face as she turned to Lucas. "You owe me a hundred dollars, Broody."

"How do you even know you won?" Lucas challenged.

"Oh please, she so has the I-just-had-sex glow about her," stated Brooke as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. She grinned at the confused look on Haley's face. "We had a bet that you and Nathan would have sex before the end of the week, and you just won me a hundred dollars."

"You bet on us?" Haley repeated incredulously.

"Brooke wanted to add another wager about how many times you had sex last night," added Lucas, making a disgusted face. "The other bet was bad enough as it was."

"It was five times," quipped Nathan, his mouth full of pancake.

Haley turned to him, angrily hitting his arm. "Nathan!"

"I'm just saying!" He replied, shrugging.

"Ha! See, I told you it would be more than three times!" Brooke squealed happily at Lucas.

If Lucas' face was disgusted before, now, he had a look of horror on his face. "Way to ruin the rest of my day, you guys."

"Oh wait, it's _six_ times. I forgot to count the two this morning." Nathan corrected.

"Shut up!" Haley cried, blushing to her roots.

"You horny rabbits!" Brooke exclaimed, laughing.

"I think my ears are bleeding," said Lucas in a hollow voice.

"Don't look at me that way, Hales. You can't blame me if it was that amazing –"

"Ooh, how was it?" Brooke asked eagerly.

"I am not telling you that!"

"You could ask the neighbors," said Nathan, grinning.

"Why are we even talking about this?" Lucas asked in a pained voice.

"Thank you, Lucas!" Haley said loudly before either Nathan or Brooke said anything else, giving the both of them angry glares. "Don't you two have a basketball practice to go to?"

Lucas was quick to change the topic and leave as soon as possible. "She's right, Nathan. We have to get going before the traffic downtown gets worse."

"Pansy ass," muttered Nathan. He bent down to give Haley a lingering kiss. "I'll see you later, Hales. I love you."

"I love you, too," she gave him a warning look before they left and with a sigh; Haley threw herself on the stool near the kitchen counter. "We are not discussing it again."

Brooke held up both her hands in defeat. "Okay, we aren't – but really Hales, six times? I am impressed. I never thought you had it in you."

Haley rolled her eyes. "Seriously though, how did you know?"

"Well aside from that glow I was talking about earlier, it's all over the news."

Haley's jaw dropped. "The whole world knows we had sex?!"

"Well no, but everyone's talking about you and Nathan getting frisky in the rain last night. I just assumed the rest." Brooke explained.

She buried her face into her hands. "Great, just what I need; more gossip about me and Nathan,"

"Oh, it's not that bad. I mean, look at the bright side. At least everyone forgot the other news about you two."

"For now, anyway,"

Brooke laughed. "You'll get used to it," she surveyed Haley with an inquiring gaze. "What are you all dressed up for? Are you going somewhere today?"

"Yeah, I promised Peyton I'd go down to the studio today. She gave me a couple demo CD's to listen to and I told her I'd give her my honest opinion about them." Haley explained, holding up a CD case filled with demos.

"Do you need a ride? I'm passing by there before I head out to work." Brooke offered.

"That'll be great," said Haley, nodding. She got up and grabbed the jacket draped over the chair. They walked out the house in silence until Brooke suddenly spoke up.

"So … six times?"

* * *

Haley walked into the studio, unable to stop herself from admiring the artwork and posters all over the walls. It was like being in Peyton's bedroom again when they were teenagers. She smiled fondly as her gaze fell on a few framed photographs perched on a shelf filled with records neatly filed. Mostly, they were pictures of her and Jake but there were a notable few of the three of them; her, Haley and Brooke.

She couldn't help but laugh when she saw one of them in high school; it was a candid photograph and all three of them wearing the Tree Hill Ravens cheerleading uniforms. Haley was reading a book in one corner, Brooke was practicing cheers on one side and Peyton was busily drawing. All three of them were obviously quite different and yet, there was the distinct connection and friendship among them.

"I sometimes wish I could go back," a voice said behind her.

Startled, Haley turned around to see a very pretty and very pregnant Peyton standing in front of her, a rather wistful smile on her face. "What do you mean?"

Peyton walked up to where Haley was standing, picking up the frame containing the picture Haley was staring at awhile ago. "Don't get me wrong, Hales – our lives now are perfect. We are all happy, and we are all fulfilling our dreams. We have become more successful than we ever imagined. But when I look back, I sometimes wish I could have done some things a little differently."

Haley noticed that even if Peyton was holding their photograph, her gaze was fixed on another photograph; it was the one of her birth mother Ellie cradling a baby Peyton in her arms. Peyton hadn't treated the sudden arrival of Ellie too well and by the time she opened herself enough to let Ellie in, it was already too late. She remembered the endless nights she and Brooke would try to console Peyton, in the hope that their words would somehow give her solace. It was a tough and difficult time for all of them, and it took quite a long time before they were able to move on with their lives.

An awkward silence hung between them until Peyton cleared her throat loudly and said, "So, um – thanks again for helping me out, Hales. It pays to have someone who actually sings. I need a second opinion with most of them."

"It's no problem, Peyton. You know I'd do anything for you," said Haley, giving Peyton an affectionate hug. "God, I missed you."

"I miss you, too. It feels like ages since we've last talked. How are you and Nathan doing? I mean, Brooke has been telling me what's been going on, but it's always better if you told me. You know how Brooke tends to exaggerate things." Peyton laughed.

Haley cringed as she recalled the incident that morning. "I've honestly never been happier, Peyton. I mean, I was so scared of letting someone new in, especially someone like Nathan but now that I have, it's like the best thing I've ever done. I've never felt this way before and I want to feel this way with him – all the time."

Peyton gave Haley a sincere smile. "I'm happy for you, Hales. It's about time you've found someone who will make you that happy. Lord knows you of all people deserve that kind of happiness."

"Come on, let's take a look at those demos," said Haley, linking her arm with Peyton's. "Have I mention how gorgeous you look?"

"I feel like a deadweight, to be quite honest. And I hate having to pee every five minutes," said Peyton grumpily. Her eyes softened when she placed her hand on her bulging stomach. "But being a mother is the best feeling in the world."

"I bet it is," murmured Haley, her hand unknowingly drifting to her own flat stomach. She took out the CD case and handed one disc to Peyton, who placed it into the CD player. "Most of them are really good, but there was one who really stood out for me. I think it's this one. She –"

The room was suddenly filled with a hauntingly beautiful voice, singing to a melody from a guitar. Haley froze when she realized that she had mistakenly given Peyton her own CD. "Peyton – it's not that –"

"She is the one," said Peyton, a huge smile on her face. "I want her."

"No Peyton, I'm not auditioning or anything. I just made this out of boredom –"

"Good Lord, Hales, if this is out of boredom, I'd love to know how you sound when you're actually recording," said Peyton, her voice ecstatic. "You're hired."

"What?! No Peyton, I don't want to record an album!" Haley protested, shaking her head frantically.

"Will you stop? Haley, I'm not hiring you because you're my best friend, or because I like to push your buttons. You are an incredibly talented and amazing singer, and I hate to deprive the world of what Haley James has to offer."

When Haley didn't answer, Peyton said, "Look, I'm not forcing you to record an album. I'm just offering you the opportunity that I really am hoping you'd agree to. Music has always been a part of your life, Hales, and don't even try to deny it when I say that it has always been your dream to sing. I just think that it's time the world hears what Haley James has to say."

Haley pondered on her words for a few moments.

"What do you say, Hales? Do you want to start changing the world?"


	41. A Notch Near Bliss

**Hi guys! Thank you for the wonderful feedback last chapter. I'm glad you guys liked it. Sadly, this story is almost coming to a close but before that sad day comes, enjoy the latest chapter. Comments are really appreciated.**

**--Sera**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own a thing.

When Haley arrived home later that day, she didn't expect to see Nathan's gym bag and discarded jacket lying on the couch in the living room. She immediately knew where he was and went to the back of the house to find him shooting free throws in the basketball court. "You're home early." She remarked, making him jump in surprise.

"Yeah, and you're home late," he replied, immediately walking towards her and wrapped her in a tight hug. Nathan couldn't help but smile widely when he felt her bury her face into his chest, her intoxicating scent filling his nostrils. He could definitely get used to holding her like this.

Haley looked up at him and corrected, "Hey, not _that_ late."

"Where were you all day? I've been trying to call you for the last couple of hours. I was hoping we'd catch a movie today, maybe eat out with Lucas, Brooke, Peyton and Jake – get a little _exercise_ done when we get home," he wiggled his eyebrows at her suggestively at that point, making her blush and smack his arm. "Okay, not a 'little,' maybe a lot."

Haley merely shook her head at him in amusement. "I met up with Peyton today, remember?"

"Oh yeah, how did that go?"

The two of them began to walk back into the house together, hand in hand. They both sat on the couch, as Nathan let Haley stretch her legs across his lap. His fingers absentmindedly traced circles into her soft skin as they continued to talk.

"Well, I helped Peyton pick out a new artist today." Haley answered.

"You spent the whole day in that studio and all you did was pick out one artist?" Nathan asked her rather incredulously.

"Yeah, just one – me," she hesitated for a moment, nervously wringing her hands as she refused to look up at him. "It was Peyton who picked me. I spent the whole day trying to convince myself that I can do it."

"Wait a second – you submitted a demo to Peyton and Jake's recording company?"

"No. It was an accident, actually. I was listening to the demo CD's last night, and I placed them all in one case. It turns out that I forgot to take out the CD I made of myself singing. I made the CD out of boredom, but then it somehow ended up being in the case, and being played. So she asked me if I could start a contract with her." Haley explained all of this very quickly and her gaze fixated on her lap.

"What did you say?"

"I said I'd think about it," she finally forced herself to look up at him. "You're not mad at me for considering this, are you?"

"Haley, I'm not mad," he reached out, cupped the sides of her face with his palms and looking straight into her eyes. "Trust me, I'll never be mad at you for trying to do something you love, and pursuing something you actually want. I'm just a little curious why you're just considering this when you should be saying yes."

"Nathan, I can't just say yes to something like this." Haley protested.

"Sure you can. It's easy, say it with me; 'yes.' Not that hard," he told her teasingly.

"Be serious," she told him, playfully swatting his shoulder. "You know what I mean. This is a really huge deal Nate, and it's not just an invitation to go to a party, or to meet up with friends. It's a huge decision to make, and there are a lot of things to think about."

"Like what?"

"Like – I just can't leave my job. I've worked way too hard to get where I am now and I just can't throw all of that away for something that might not even last."

"How do you know if won't last?" He asked her.

"How do you know it would?" She threw back at him, and when he gave her a look, she sighed and shook her head at him. "Nathan, I've worked for more than two years in that place, and those two years have been one of the hardest to go through. And let's face it; if I didn't work there, I wouldn't have met you and just the thought of that makes all the difference in the world for me. I can't just leave that job."

Nathan reached over and took Haley's guitar that was lying a few feet away from him. He handed it to her and said, "Hold it and strum a few chords, then tell me that those small, little things you do on that guitar don't make an even bigger difference."

Haley fell silent, her fingers gently tugging on the strings, feeling the familiar soar in her chest as she did. She could almost feel the words of a song on the tip of her tongue, the melody already playing in her head. It came so naturally to her, like breathing – or loving Nathan. She gazed up at him, and his eyes were dead serious. "Nathan, let's be realistic for just one moment and think about this. Sure, a career in music sounds really tempting and I could think of so many times I've wished I could spend the rest of my life doing it, but sometimes, talent can only take someone so far. What if I do become successful right now? That doesn't mean it's going to last. If I quit my job and go record an album, what happens if things don't work out? What do I do then?"

"You have me, Hales. And I don't just mean that in a financial sense or anything like that," Nathan interlaced his fingers with hers and looked straight into her eyes as he spoke. "Look, if there's one thing I've learned so far in my life, it's that sometimes, all you need is one person to believe in you. All my life, I've wanted to play basketball and my dad kept pushing me beyond my limit and so hard that I began to doubt if I really wanted it. But then I met that woman in my first basketball game, and all she did was say that she believed in me. It made all of this – and the rest of my life happen. Why can't I be that someone for you?"

When he was done speaking, Haley was surprised to find tears in her eyes. She leaned forward and pulled him closer for a lingering kiss. When she pulled away, she rested her forehead against his, her fingers gently grazing the side of his face. "You already are."

"So is that a yes?" Nathan asked her hopefully.

"It's a probable yes," she couldn't help but giggle when he let out a triumphant laugh and pulled her even closer against himself. "I said probable."

"All I heard was a yes," he replied gruffly as he pulled her down on top of him and began kissing her fiercely, to the point that they were both breathless. Haley's sudden eager response was making him hard and he made sure that she could feel it by grinding up against her. He smirked when he heard her let out a tiny gasp, his lips trailing slowly down her neck. He was just about to slip his hand up her top when he felt himself almost falling off the couch. Groaning, he gently pushed her off him. "Damn, there's no room here to do anything."

"I heard the pool has a lot of room." Haley suggested coyly, smirking in a way that was almost like his. Her eyes were twinkling mischievously.

Nathan didn't need any more encouragement as he pulled her into his arms and carried her outside.

* * *

"So I heard Haley's recording an album," said Lucas as he caught the ball Nathan threw at him. "Why didn't you tell me?"

The brothers were in Nathan's backyard, shooting hoops. Lucas had come over to discuss some new endorsement offers with Nathan and after which, they hung out for a few hours playing NBA Live, watching some DVD's and playing basketball outside. Nathan watched as Lucas took aim and threw the ball that shot right through the basketball hoop effortlessly. "I thought you already knew."

"Yeah, I did – but Brooke told me before you did. I haven't seen Haley all day. Is she even home?"

"Yeah, she's in the bedroom, finishing that article about me because it's due in like, three days or something. This morning when I woke up, she was already at her laptop, typing like mad and she wouldn't let me within two feet of her, because according to her, I was an 'annoying distraction' or something. So she drove me out and she hasn't let me in the bedroom since," explained Nathan. "It's kind of scary how you and Haley are so alike."

"It's part of being a genius. You wouldn't know about it, anyway," joked Lucas, quickly dodging the ball that came flying towards him. "I'm kidding, man."

Nathan was quiet for a moment. "So, has there been any news about me lately that I should know about?"

"Surprisingly, no and let me tell you, this has been the longest time in your entire career that you weren't in the tabloids for doing something stupid. But your pictures at the orphanage just came out, and they're now praising Haley for taming the used-to-be Bad Boy of Hollywood."

"I've been thinking about that a lot lately. If it weren't for my notoriously bad rep, I would have never met Haley, or seen her again. But then, if it weren't for her, I wouldn't be this way now."

"What do you mean?" Lucas asked him.

"I mean, things are really different now. I used to think so much of the success, the money and the fame, and that my life couldn't get any better but when really, it still could. I was living my life the easy way by partying, getting drunk every night and sleeping with every hot girl I see because I was trying to prove to Dan that I am everything he said I could never be, when the truth was, everything he said about me being a failure and getting nowhere was true. If it weren't for Haley, my career could possibly end in less than a couple of years. I was on a fast track to the end of my dreams. I lost count how many times I went home every night and wished I weren't alone, or that I didn't feel that lonely. Even with all that money and that partying lifestyle, I was never really happy. The truth is, Haley saved more than just my career. She saved my life."

Lucas was so quiet that Nathan looked up at him. His brother was staring at him like he had seen a ghost. "For once, I am at loss for words."

Nathan smiled, his gaze drifting to the bedroom window, knowing Haley was in there. "If I told her all the things I just told you, she wouldn't believe how much she changed me, or how much I've come to love her. I want her to know that by being there for her no matter what, supporting her dreams, encouraging her – making her happy. She's my life, Luke."

Lucas was still staring at Nathan with his jaw dropped. He shook his head in defeat, clapping brother on the back. "It's about damned time."

With one last look at the bedroom window, Nathan turned back to Lucas, blocking him. "Best out of twenty buys the other lunch?"

"Game on, little bro."

* * *

Haley was getting tired. She had been working and slaving over the article all day, and all she wanted was to throw herself at the bed and sleep. It was especially important that she finished the article today because with all the songwriting and rehearsing she had for the next few days, she would have no time to finish the article at all. She heard a knock on the closed bedroom door and heard it creak open.

"Is it safe to come in, or are you going to attack me with pillows again?" Nathan cautiously asked her, his head poking through the open door.

"Ha-ha, very funny," she answered, sticking her tongue out at him.

"I come in peace – with some coffee and lunch," he said, grinning as he walked inside, closing the door behind him. He settled the food on the table and enveloped Haley in a hug. "How's the article coming?"

"I'm almost done. I'm just editing a couple of stuff now before I send it over tomorrow." Haley answered, yawning as she did.

"Wow, you sound exhausted. You sure you don't want to rest for awhile?" Nathan asked her, his voice laced with concern.

"As tempting as that sounds, I'll pass. I won't get anything done if I keep resting. Besides, this won't take much long and I'll be done by four today." Haley assured him.

"Good, because I was thinking we could go out and –" His gaze fell on the computer screen and he instantly asked her interestedly, "So what did you say about me?"

"You'll see in a few days' time." Haley replied, quickly folding the laptop screen before he could make out the words.

"What did you say about me?"

"I said a lot of things you don't need to know right now."

"But why not?" Nathan asked her, making an impatient face.

"Because it's a surprise and you'll know what I said the same time everyone else does." Haley said firmly.

"Well, that's not very fun. I thought that would be one of the perks when dating the author of an article about me."

"How about I let you work for it?" She suggested.

"You're not going to make me do the dishes for a week, are you?" Nathan asked her cautiously.

Haley laughed, wrapping her arms around him. "I was thinking about an entirely different kind of work," she said seductively into his ear as she walked him towards the bed until they both fell, with her straddling him. She reached up to pull off the tie of her hair, letting the blond waves fall over her shoulders. Nathan had no idea where Haley was getting her sudden confidence from because usually, she just let him take the lead in the bedroom. But lately, she had been so bold and open to new things and Nathan sure as hell wasn't one to complain. Just seeing her take control was making him dizzy with want for her. She was just about to unbutton his shirt when suddenly, her cell phone began to ring loudly.

"Ignore it – maybe it's not important," muttered Nathan, pulling her down to him.

The rings were becoming too loud and too persistent to ignore that Haley climbed off the bed to answer it. "It won't take long," she promised and quickly answered the call. "Hello?"

"Hales, it's Peyton."

"Hi Peyton, what's up?" Haley asked, smiling apologetically at Nathan when he rolled his eyes at the sound of Peyton's name.

"Ask her what's going _down_," he grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

Haley couldn't help but giggle and clearing her throat, she said, "What's up?"

"Okay, I let a couple of big producers listen to some of your songs, and they loved it! Not only are they thinking of helping us out with promoting and producing your album, but they already are booking you with a worldwide tour with a couple of bands!"

Haley couldn't help but scream excitedly at the sound of it. "No way! Oh my God, Peyton – I can't believe this is really happening! They really liked my songs!"

"Not only did they like it – they loved it! They want to book you straight away for the tour. They think it's going to be a huge way to promote a new artist, and even with all those famous acts, they're sure you're going to stand out, and people are going to be lining up for your record once it comes out."

"Oh my God! This is insane! I've barely even made a record, and I'm already in a worldwide tour!"

Peyton hesitated for a moment. "Is uh, Nathan there?"

Haley glanced momentarily at him. "Yeah, why?"

"There's a catch to the worldwide tour."

Her breath caught at her throat. "A – catch?"

"Um, yeah. Since it's going to be a worldwide tour, you're going to have to be away from Nathan for awhile."

"How exactly long is 'awhile', Peyton?"

There was silence on the other line, and Haley could already feel knots in her stomach beginning to form. "Seven months."


	42. Undecided

**Hey everyone! So somebody asked me how many more chapters I will be posting until I end the story. I'm not entirely sure because I had a last-minute change of plans, and I don't really have it mapped out yet. It would most probably be around 3 to 4 chapters, at most with the epilogue included. It may be more than that, or less. Anyway, thank you for all the feedback for the last chapter. Enjoy this one, and please review!**

**--Sera**

* * *

**Disclaimer: **I don't own a thing.

"_Seven months."_

Those two words – it gnawed at her insides as Peyton's voice played over and over in her head like a broken record. And the way she said it – the sudden change from excited and gleeful to somber and practically dreading. Yes, that was the right word for it, because right now, Haley was dreading to face Nathan, look him in the eye and tell him. But most of all, she was dreading the time she would have to make a decision. And it was definitely not far from now.

Haley was so lost in her own thoughts she hadn't realized that the phone call was already over, and she had barely heard the rest of what Peyton said, as if her mind channeled out everything else but "seven months." She felt Nathan's hand on her shoulder, breaking her from her trance. She heard his worried voice, but his words barely registered. Usually, just the sound of his voice brought a sense of comfort and protection to her. Now, she felt nothing but dread.

"Haley, is everything okay?" He asked in a tone that made it seem that he had already asked her this awhile ago. Gently, his fingers wrapped around her wrist as he dropped her hand down – the hand that was holding the cell phone that was still pressed against her ear. Nathan stood next to her, his gaze concerned. Just the way he looked at her made Haley's heart break. How could she leave Nathan for so long? And why now – now that she was finally happy after what seemed to be ages? How could she leave all of this? "What's going on?"

Haley forced herself to look him straight in the eye, and even with the familiar flipping sensation of her stomach, she couldn't stop her heart from racing, her doubts overwhelming her. She slowly asked him, as if it was the most tiresome thing to do, "Nathan, how many days are there in seven months?"

He frowned at her, his brows furrowing as he mentally calculated it. "About two hundred ten days. Why?"

Two hundred ten days. That was a big number – even bigger when you thought about it in days. Haley could feel herself reeling, but she forced herself to calm down and relax. She took a deep breath, in the hopes of calming herself. "There's something I need to do for awhile. It'll be just a couple of hours."

The crease on Nathan's forehead deepened as he gazed warily at her. "Should I be worried?"

"No. I just – need to do this right now. I won't be long, I promise," she stood on tiptoes so she could lean up for a lingering kiss that made her heart break even more. Haley was certain that the more she stayed here, the more it would be difficult for her to make a decision. "I love you."

The worry in Nathan's eyes didn't disappear as he reluctantly nodded, kissing her back. "I love you, too."

Haley grabbed the nearest jacket hanging over the chair, and with one small smile at Nathan over her shoulder, she walked out, knowing immediately where she was headed. The sudden cold wind outside whipped her face, making her put on her jacket. She gave one look at the cars parked on Nathan's driveway and decided that it would be easier to simply walk. If she was not mistaken, the place was only a few blocks away from here.

As Haley walked, she could feel people's stares and whispers at her, probably wondering who she was, or knowing exactly who she was. She knew she should get used to this by now. She was dating one of the hottest and most popular male celebrities now, and soon, she was going to start her own career as well. Having people stare openly at her and whisper things, well – it was certainly something Haley wasn't familiar with. Back home and when she was younger, she couldn't care less if anyone knew her or not. She wasn't one to revel in attention and fame, and she had always been uncomfortable in the limelight. Which was why Haley somehow preferred to take the backseat to Brooke and Peyton's success – sometimes, it was always easier to be invisible.

Haley had never been jealous to their success and fame, and she had always been just fine with the way she was now. Sure, she wondered how it was to be as famous and as successful as they were in their chosen career paths, but at the end of the day, Haley never really minded.

But this was her dream – the dream she had always had since she was a little girl, the dream that had somehow slipped away from her more than once before.

Haley found herself in front of a derelict-looking building, her gaze directed upward as she looked on. The faded words painted on the wall were barely discernable now, and her gaze fell on her reflection on the dusty, cracked window.

And she was suddenly going back – going back to several years ago …

"_So, what do you think?" Peyton asked her, walking around the wide, open and quite empty room, her arms outstretched as she spun around._

"_That depends, what is it?" Haley asked._

"_My recording studio," declared Peyton, her green eyes flashing brightly, practically brimming with happiness and excitement. The smile on her face was huge, and her entire demeanor was glowing. Peyton had always been a quiet, brooding sort of person and it was rare to see her that happy and beaming. She skipped to one side of the room, her hand outstretched as she exclaimed, "I'm thinking – plush, red couches and a coffee table," she ran to another part of the room. "And over here – a bar, with drinks and cool neon lights on the wall –" She went to one side of the room, where the entire wall was practically bare. "And over here, posters of bands – artwork – photographs – the whole works."_

_Peyton joined Haley back in the middle of the room. She looked up at the ceiling, and frowned a bit. "The lighting's a bit weird, but we could have that fixed. And we could repaint the entire place; maybe fix up the tiles on the floor before we move in any furniture. Isn't this great?"_

"_It's amazing, Peyton," agreed Haley, nodding eagerly. "How did you find this place?"_

"_Jake knows the guy who owns this place. We're just planning on renting it first until we have saved enough money. When business is going great, we'll just buy it. This is going to be so great, Hales. Brooke was so excited yesterday, I already promised her she'd pick out the furniture, and plan the opening party once we're through fixing this place up. She's also going to be sponsoring the whole thing, so we're sure to get the word out before we even sign anyone."_

"_I bet Brooke was thrilled,"_

"_She is, Hales. Isn't this just amazing? We're finally getting everything we've been hoping for! Brooke's company is starting out great, Jake and I have this recording studio and you –" Peyton hesitated at Haley's sudden cold look on her face. Her face suddenly lit up, as if she just had an idea. "Haley, you could be our first artist! We could sign you up right now – record an album! This is perfect!"_

_Haley's eyes widened. "What? Whoa, whoa, whoa – you're getting ahead of yourself, Peyton. I said nothing about wanting to sign up for anything."_

"_You didn't, but really, Hales – you should have seen your face when I was gushing about how we're finally getting everything we want. And c'mon Hales, you can't keep drifting from one job to the next, especially if they're jobs you don't really want."_

"_Well, maybe I like this copywriting job now. Did you ever think of that?"_

_Peyton shook her head in exasperation. "What is so wrong with going after your dreams, Haley? Or is singing not your dream anymore?"_

_Haley averted her gaze, falling silent._

"_I'm offering you a job right now. And it's not just any job. It's your dream – the rest of your life."_

_When her friend didn't say anything, Peyton let out a big sigh. "How have you and Chris been lately?"_

"_We've been – okay, I guess." Haley said hesitatingly, careful not to show Peyton how she really felt. The truth was, she and Chris weren't doing so well. They were fighting more than usual, and with each fight, it just got worse. Haley was so afraid that she was going to lose him anytime now._

"_I heard that he signed on a recording label recently."_

"_Yeah, last week."_

"_How long are you going to keep taking the backseat to him, Haley? Here's your boyfriend whom you've been dating since high school, and you've sacrificed practically everything for him. You didn't go to your dream school just so you two can be together, he's constantly pressuring you to have sex with him when you're clearly not ready, but you still put up with that shit, and now – you're taking the backseat so he can have his career, and you can't." Peyton said, her tone obviously forced to keep even and calm._

"_You don't know anything about us, Peyton." Haley said angrily, her temper instantly flaring._

"_Oh yeah? So why don't you tell me then? Enlighten me, go on. Tell me why you don't want a singing career, but you're so supportive of your boyfriend's career that you don't mind having a dead-end job you don't even want."_

_Before Haley could say anything, there was a loud knock on the door that interrupted the both of them. They both turned around to see Chris standing outside, looking impatient. Peyton rolled her eyes, making sure that both Haley and Chris saw it. "Speaking of the devil …"_

"_Peyton –"_

"_The backseat must be so much fun for you to give up your dreams so easily," sneered Peyton, her eyes narrowing. "I'll talk to you tomorrow."_

_Haley helplessly watched Peyton walk away, her words reverberating in her ears. She saw how Peyton practically shoved Chris out of the way, and sighed. There was so much to her words – so much truth she could no longer deny. Truth be told, Haley herself didn't know why it was so easy for her to give up her dreams so Chris could have his. He had always been aware of how talented she was, and he sometimes purposely put her down to make himself look good. Haley wasn't stupid; she knew he did that. But somehow, with all the years she had been with him, she fell in love with him, and she forgot the rest. She always thought that a career could wait, and that Chris was more important. How she could throw all her beliefs and dreams away so easily for him, she didn't know._

"_Hey you," she greeted, giving him a quick kiss. "How did it go?"_

"_They thought it was pretty good – but they said I needed to work on my pitch more. There were some parts of the song where my pitch didn't sound right," said Chris as he settled down his things on the floor. As he got up, he looked around. "What is this place?"_

"_Peyton and Jake's recording studio," answered Haley._

_Chris gave a little snort. "They wouldn't last long."_

"_You don't know that, Chris. Peyton and Jake really love music."_

"_Yeah, well – love is different from actually making the music, isn't it?"_

_Haley simply gazed at him in disbelief. "You are such an asshole."_

"_Yeah, whatever," mumbled Chris. "Listen, I need to practice one of the songs. Do you mind helping me out with the pitch? I have to be back there later today, and I better be good."_

_She sighed in defeat. It was no use arguing with him. "Alright, c'mon,"_

_When had she sunk so low?_

"Love is different from actually making the music," repeated Haley softly to herself, as she snapped out of her reverie. As much as Chris was an asshole that day, he actually made a lot of sense when she thought about it.

And suddenly, Haley knew what to do.

* * *

"Nathan? I'm home," announced Haley as she walked into the living room, dropping her keys on the table by the doorway. She shrugged out of her jacket, draping it over the chair. Nathan was seated on the couch, his gaze fixated on the television. She took his hand, intertwining her fingers with his. She noticed how he hadn't budged one bit, not even taking the effort to intertwine his fingers.

"Where have you been?" He asked her rather stonily as he switched the television off.

"Peyton and Jake's old recording studio – they were supposed to buy the place but things were going so great that they had to move to a bigger place. The building is pretty much scheduled for demolition now."

An awkward silence hung between them, and Haley felt Nathan's fingers slowly slipping away.

"You're going on tour for seven months, aren't you?"

It didn't sound like a question – more of a statement.

Haley closed her eyes, afraid to see his face. "Yes." She felt the weight of the couch lift, knowing immediately that he stood up, and braced herself for his outburst. She knew this was coming – just not so soon.

"Were you even planning to tell me – at all?"

She forced herself to look up at him, but she looked at anywhere but his eyes. She figured that if she did, she was sure she was going to cry right then and there. "Of course I was! Just – not now. I needed to figure some things out – what I'm going to do, what I'm going to tell you."

"What you're going to tell me? Since when has it been hard to tell me things?" Nathan demanded as he forced to keep his voice steady.

"Since I realized we'd have to be apart for seven months! How do you even know this?"

"Well, for one minute, you were practically gushing with Peyton over the phone about your little tour, and the next, you're asking me how long is seven months. It doesn't take a genius to put two and two together."

"Well, good for you then," snapped Haley. "I don't understand why you're so mad at this. I was going to tell you, Nathan. Like I said, I needed to figure things out."

"Have you? Have you figured things out?" He asked her.

Haley hesitated. Walking back here, she thought she had everything figured out – she thought it would be easy to talk to him, that her decision was right and she would be able to make her understand. But as usual, Haley thought wrong and for a moment, she wasn't exactly sure of what she was going to do. "I thought I had," she answered truthfully.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that I don't know what I'm going to do, Nathan!" Haley buried her face into her palms, her fingers tightly clenched as she tried to recompose herself – make sense of things. When she looked up – when her gaze met his, she immediately felt herself tearing up. "I thought that I wouldn't have to go through something like this again. I thought I was done making decisions like this."

"What, so you thought you would never be offered something like this again?"

"No, Nathan – I knew that someday, I would get another opportunity like this, but I never thought it would come with this – with you."

"So what am I, a liability now?"

"I never said that!" Haley shouted, now standing up. Her anger was shooting through her, her fingers still tightly clenched at her sides.

"You sure made it sound like I was."

"What the hell do you want me to do, Nathan?! What do you want me to say? That things are going to work out in the end? That we'll get through this together? That I could easily turn this down and wait for another opportunity like this to come around? How long can opportunities keep coming like this when I keep turning them down so I could put another person ahead of me? Because truthfully, I am tired of sacrificing for people and putting them first! I have been doing that all my life, and for once – just once – I would like to put myself first, but can anyone let me do that? No!"

"Well, what do _you_ want me to say, Haley? Seven months is more than half of a year – two hundred ten days! Do I know if I can be apart from you that long? No, because just being apart from you for a week already drives me insane. How much more for seven months?"

"So you're saying I should just stay here, forget my dream? Forget that this is what I have wanted to do ever since I could pick up a guitar and sing a note?"

"Look, you could have your career here, Haley. You don't need this tour to have one."

"Nathan, this tour could make or break my career! It's like saying you could play basketball here in Los Angeles, but not go on championships in other states. It just doesn't work that way!"

His eyes were as intense as ever – raging with anger, but filled with bitter disappointment. "You're right, it doesn't work that way. So seven months, huh? I better get used to it then."

And without another word, Nathan walked out of the door, slamming it behind him. Haley sank on the couch, hearing the roar of the car engine as he drove away. She felt as though her heart had been replaced with nothing but a wide and empty hole where it used to be – so numb that she didn't even realize she was crying.

She had been so sure of going on that tour – so sure that Nathan would understand, but now – she wasn't sure of what she really wanted; Nathan or her career. She wasn't even sure of who she was anymore.


	43. Settled

**Hey guys! Thank you so much for the awesome feedback for the last chapter. I know I made Nathan seem like a total ass, but I promise you that things will work out. Enjoy this chapter and please review!**

**--Sera**

* * *

**Disclaimer: **I don't own a thing.

_It was an unusually bright Saturday morning when a thirteen-year-old Nathan walked into the kitchen. He slid onto the chair, squinting at the sunlight that beamed through the window and directly at him. The past few days had been very gloomy with occasional rains thrown in that Nathan's dad didn't let him practice basketball to avoid getting the star player of the basketball team to get sick._

_Not that Dan was really concerned with Nathan's health at all. As far as Nathan was concerned, all the "worry" and "concern" Dan had for him was for basketball. It always had been._

_Nathan stared down at the table in front of him, not at all surprised that there was no breakfast laid out for him. It had been that way for as long as Nathan can remember. His mother had been in and out of rehab facilities so much that she practically lived there now. If there was ever a chance that she was home, she would be locked in their bedroom, popping pills all over again. His dad was always away during the day for whatever business he had and he hardly came home, either. When he did, it was always for basketball and nothing else. Nathan came to think of basketball as the only thing left that tied his "family" together. The only time the three of them were actually together was during basketball games, and he saw this as his motivation to play even better. If Nathan improved with every game, the more his parents came to the games, forgot their differences and problems, and just cheer him on, even for a few hours._

_He got up again and tried to reach the top shelf for the box of cereal he always ate since nobody ever cooked in the house. He was used to not having breakfast made for him, or not having anyone to wake up or come home to. That was his life for so long now that sometimes, it didn't even matter anymore._

"_I thought that by this time, you'd be tall enough to reach that top shelf," a familiar voice cheerfully drawled from behind him. "Guess I was wrong."_

_Nathan spun around to see his favorite uncle, Keith standing by the doorway, a wide smile on his face. Nathan's somber mood instantly cheered up as he ran to give his uncle a hug. "Uncle Keith! What are you doing here?"_

"_Karen told me to go check up on you since your mom decided it would be the perfect time to make a visit to another one of her happy places, and your dad is off to God knows where. How are you, buddy?" Keith asked, rumpling Nathan's already-messy dark hair._

_Nathan shrugged, going back to his previous position of reaching up the top shelf. "I've been okay. Basketball season is over, so dad will be away longer now."_

_Keith winced from behind Nathan. He didn't like Nathan associating basketball to his poor excuse of a father. Dan had been anything but a father or a coach to his son, and Nathan shouldn't forget his natural love of the game get ruined by his father's incessant pressure on him. He walked over, slid the box of cereal off the shelf and gave it to Nathan. "Lucas told me your grades haven't been as good as they should be."_

"_Why does he care just because his grades are better than mine?" Nathan asked rather grumpily as he poured the cereal into an empty bowl. Recently, his uncle Keith had been trying to get him and Lucas closer, and Nathan didn't like it. He was always being compared to Lucas; and somehow, he had always ended up being the "bad Scott." So he had gotten in trouble more than a couple of times. Big deal. His parents didn't care about him anyway. He didn't see why he shouldn't get in trouble when he got that kind of freedom. Besides, it made him feel – noticed._

"_Lucas is just being a good brother, Nathan, You should appreciate him more." Keith said gently._

"_That's exactly what he is; the 'good brother' – the 'nicer brother who never gets into trouble.' People are always saying that I should be more like him. I hate being compared to him." Nathan complained grouchily, as he poured milk over the cereal._

"_He just wants to be your brother, Nathan. It wouldn't hurt to spend a little more time with him; get to know him more. Maybe spending time with Lucas will make you forget how this big house makes you feel so alone."_

_For the first time in that conversation, Nathan fell silent. He watched his cereal float over the milk, not caring if he had to eat them soggy. How did Uncle Keith know that his big house made him feel so alone? It was strange because people thought Nathan had it all. He was popular, talented, good-looking and rich, he didn't have any parents to tell him what to do and he could do whatever he wanted. Nobody knew that all Nathan wanted was somebody to tell him just the opposite, somebody to come home to every night, somebody who made him breakfast in the morning, and drove him to school, or came to Parent-Teacher meetings – somebody like what Lucas had with Karen and Keith._

_Nathan looked up. "Hey Uncle Keith, is Karen happy? Even without dad?"_

_Keith let out a small chuckle. "God, I do hope so."_

_Nathan made a face. "Seriously."_

"_Well, I like to think so. Your dad left Karen days after he found out she was pregnant with Lucas, even when he promised that he'd be with her no matter what. I have never seen Karen that upset or depressed in her life. She really loved your dad."_

"_Loved?"_

"_Well Nathan, Karen found it in herself to move on from your father. He never really loved her, and she only realized that when he was gone. I guess you can say she was – and still is – at her happiest when Dan was gone from her life."_

_Nathan was quiet for a moment. Then without looking up, he murmured, "I wish dad would leave mom then."_

_He felt Keith's hand on his shoulder, comfortingly squeezing it. "Mom isn't happy with him, is he? Then she wouldn't be taking all those pills."_

"_Nathan, your mother is just going through a rough time –"_

"_It's a pretty long rough time."_

"_Nathan –"_

"_It's hurting everybody, especially me."_

"_I'm sorry, buddy. But it'll pass, I promise."  
_

"_What if it doesn't? What if I have to endure all of this crap until I'm eighteen and then I have to go to college? What if I have to wake up to something like this every day? I don't want to do that." Nathan said quietly, refusing to let himself cry as much as he wanted to. He furiously tried to blink his tears away and when one trickled down his cheek, he quickly wiped it away with the back of his hand. He wasn't going to be a pansy over this. There was no way that he was giving his father the satisfaction that he made his son as miserable as he made his wife. Not anymore._

"_You could come over to Lucas' place every weekend," suggested Keith._

_Nathan didn't answer._

_Keith sighed. "Believe it or not Nathan, your mom loves your dad – in a cosmic sort of way I guess. But the thing is, she sacrificed a lot for him to make him happy, and she sacrificed even more for you. You may not be happy now, or you may not realize it now, but she's done a lot to give you the kind of life you have now. You'd probably going to school in some God-forsaken dump for all I know, or maybe not going to school at all. You may not see the bright side in all of this, but you're lucky. You have all of this, and a family in us; me, Karen and Lucas."_

"_It doesn't seem like mom sacrificed a lot for me." Nathan insisted._

"_She did. Look at it this way; if she thought of herself before thinking of you, she would have packed her stuff, took you with her and did God knows what. But she stayed, took all of your dad's crap and tried to live with it, even if she wasn't happy – just so you could have a better future."_

_Keith bent down to give Nathan a hug. "People you love make a lot of sacrifices to make you happy. It may be difficult for them, but it will make a lot of difference someday, and one day, I know you'll realize that she was only trying to give you a better chance to make your dreams come true."_

Nathan snapped out of his reverie to find himself parked in front of Peyton and Jake's recording studio. He had been so deep in his thoughts that he didn't even realize that he somehow drove himself here.

He got out of the car and went into the building. After signing a few things with the security guard downstairs, he took the elevator to the top floor where Peyton and Jake's office was. He walked down the hallway, pointedly ignoring the posters plastered on the wall – posters of artists the record company had made famous.

Nathan reached the far end of the hallway to a wide office with glass doors and windows. He saw Jake's figure reading some papers, and discreetly knocked on the door to catch his attention. Jake looked up, and with a smile, motioned for Nathan to walk in.

"Hey man, make yourself at home. You want a cup of coffee or something?" Jake offered.

Nathan nodded, taking a seat on the plush, red couch. He looked around appreciatively; the entire place, especially the office, was decorated quite tastefully, having both Jake and Peyton's distinct feel to it – with Jake's guitars on one corner of the room, and Peyton's artwork on the walls.

His gaze fell on an empty CD case lying on top of the desk. When he took a good look at it, he winced. It was a model CD cover of Haley's album. Before he could flip it over to look at the list of songs, Jake walked back in carrying two steaming cups of coffee.

He noticed Nathan putting the CD back where he found it, and smiled. "The album is going to sound great."

"I bet," murmured Nathan in reply, making sure to sip coffee quickly so he wouldn't have to say anything else. The sudden heat of the coffee scalded his tongue and Nathan was quick to pretend he didn't feel anything.

"She's going to be amazing in that tour, Nathan. It will give her opportunities she could never have by just recording an album." Jake added.

Nathan settled the cup on the nearest table, finding it difficult to talk about the tour. He had come there with the intention to talk to Jake about it but the mere thought of it was already difficult to think about, much less talk about. "Do world tours really last that long?"

"Normally, it would be less, but it's a lot of artists, Nathan. Not just her."

"Seven months," repeated Nathan softly, feeling the familiar lurch in his stomach. "That's more than half of a year."

"She would do the same for you. She wouldn't think twice if it were you."

Nathan nodded, realizing the truth in Jake's words. He buried his face into the palms of his hands. "God, I feel like such a selfish jackass. And all that time, I had been encouraging her to do it – I was telling her that I would support her no matter what. Well, 'no matter what' did come, and I stormed off. No wonder she expected me to understand."

"The thing is – even if she doesn't go on that tour, she will eventually and you'll find it harder to let go of her then."

Nathan was quiet for a moment as he pondered on what Jake said. "I don't even know why I didn't want her to go. I just – don't."

* * *

It was late that night when Nathan arrived home. All the lights in the house were switched off and he was almost afraid to come home to nothing and no one. He walked into the bedroom, wondering that if he switched on the light, he would find the bed and the closet empty.

He flicked the switch on, and found Haley's sleeping figure lying on the bed. Nathan nearly sighed with relief. He slowly walked towards the bed and when he saw her visibly shift away from him, he knew she was awake. "You're here," he said quietly.

She turned around and looked at him, her expression cold and angry, making him flinch in response. "You know what I realized today? I realized I couldn't sleep anywhere else except here in your bed. I guess it's another reason for me to not leave. Isn't that good news for you?"

Nathan got on the bed, trying to move closer to her but she inched away. "Hales –"

Haley sat up, running her fingers through her hair in frustration. When she spoke, her voice was surprisingly quiet, but it clearly had a resentful edge to it. "You know when I went to that old recording studio awhile ago? I gave up my dream there, too. Once. Peyton and Jake were just starting out and Peyton offered me a record deal, but I gave it up for Chris. It honestly didn't seem like a big deal back then, but when I think about it now, I could have easily said yes, and the rest of my life would be set. But I said no. because I wanted Chris to be happy first and I figured that another offer would came later. I wanted him to realize that I was willing to give up so much for our relationship – just so he'd stay with me, realize that I did love him; maybe he'd appreciate me more. He never did. And I never told him what I turned down for him."

Nathan flinched again. She had given up so much in her life – putting others before herself. It wasn't fair for him to stop her again, no matter how much he wanted her to stay. "Haley, I didn't mean to storm out on you like that. It's just – the thought of being apart from you for that long scared me. I had always figured that you'd have this record, go on tour for a few weeks and come home. I guess it doesn't always work like that."

"Well, it does," snapped Haley.

"I basically grew up without a family. Did you know that? Sure, I had Uncle Keith, Karen and Lucas, but at the end of the day, I had no family. I never got the sense of actually coming home or waking up to someone I loved, or considered my family. And somehow, I found that with you, and it's like I don't want that feeling to go away so soon, especially with you. The distance scares me, Hales. To tell you the truth, I'm afraid of what happens when you'll be gone for that long.

"Maybe I'll miss you terribly for the first few weeks we're apart; maybe we'll call each other every day. But what happens after that? What happens when that distance drives us apart? It's not that I don't have faith in us and our relationship, but I've seen that happen with my family, and I once thought that my family was the strongest relationship I've ever seen and had. I'm not saying that we can't get through this but I'm trying to be as realistic as possible here. I can't pretend that this relationship will sail smoothly when already, there's so many things getting between us."

"So you're saying I shouldn't go?" Haley asked softly. She didn't sound angry or cold anymore. She sounded rather – defeated.

Nathan reached out, cupping Haley's face into the palm of his hands, looking directly at her. He saw conflict and confusion in her eyes and gently, he wiped away the tears that were brimming and starting to fall. He took a deep breath and said, "No. You should go."

"What?"

"You should go on that tour." He repeated, firmer this time.

"But you were right, Nathan – you were right about everything. Look, we've only been together for two months and how sure are we that we could get through seven months without each other? What if the distance _does_ drive us apart – and what if I come and one of us, or both doesn't feel the same way anymore? It's not something I want to risk. I could just talk to Peyton about it. I mean, there are other ways for me to get this career without the tour and –"

"There you go again, sacrificing yourself for others. You need to stop doing that. You're too much of a nice person for your own good," teased Nathan, smiling slightly when she smiled back. "Hales, I honestly came here with the intention to beg you not to go. But I realized that you've given up so much for other people, and it's about time you deserve to get something you want. I don't want to be another Chris to you – stopping you from making your dreams happen. I just want to be that guy who put himself aside _for you_. I've said it before and I'll say it again; you've changed my life, Haley James. Why can't I be the one to change yours?"

"Damn it, you need to stop making those dramatic speeches of yours," complained Haley, laughing as she wiped away her tears. She took his hand, intertwining her fingers with his. "Are you sure about this?"

"Sure as I'll ever be," said Nathan automatically with a confident smirk now on his handsome face. "I love you, Hales and maybe, love is enough to help us get through those seven months. Maybe _our_ love will be enough."

Haley felt his arms wrap around her, holding her close as she tried to take comfort and assurance from his words. Maybe Nathan was right – that their love will be enough. It sure as hell was different from anything or anyone else's.


	44. Faith

**I know, before you start throwing things at me, let me explain why it's been ages since I've updated. First off, school has been really crazy and so has been my personal life. It's a lot to deal with so I lost inspiration for quite some time. Not to worry though, I haven't given up on my stories. They'll be updated as regularly as before when things have calmed down. Until then, please review! And again, I am really, truly sorry for the delay.**

**--Sera**

* * *

**Disclaimer: **I don't own a thing.

When Haley awoke the next morning, she squinted at the bright sunlight that streamed through their window. She muttered a complaint under her breath, not at all used to waking up that late. She wasn't at all surprised to see that the other half of the bed empty, and figured that it was probably late in the morning already. She leaped off the bed, grabbed the nearest shirt she could find and slipped it on. The cold, smooth floor contrasted sharply with the rough concrete as she stepped outside barefoot.

For a moment, Haley watched Nathan shoot the ball gracefully into the hoop, not even touching the rim or the backboard. It was amazing to watch. Each shot he took was practically effortless, as if it was as easy as breathing itself. Fast, simple and not even thought of. Then she saw the small furrow between his brows, the crease on his forehead as he gazed up at the basket, the intense, concentrating gaze and the pulsing of a vein at the base of his neck – and it was as if seeing basketball for the first time, in his eyes. She saw the passion and fire that he had when he took hold of the ball and then the triumphant sparkle in his blue eyes as he watched the ball fly through the hoop, as if he hadn't seen it happen a million times before.

He really loved this game, she realized, unable to hide a small smile on her face.

"What are you smiling at?" He suddenly asked.

"Nothing. It's a beautiful day," she said as she threw her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her. She felt an involuntary shudder race through her spine when his lips touched hers, gently parting them and slipped his tongue in. They kissed passionately for a few moments until air became an issue as she reluctantly pulled away. "God, I love you."

Nathan's entire face lit up and if Haley wasn't mistaken, the beam on his face was much brighter than it had been awhile ago when he played basketball. His fingers absentmindedly played with a stray strand of hair that fell on the side of her face as he gazed into her brown eyes. He murmured his replies of "I love you" and kissed her again, hungrier this time. "Do you want to take this inside?" He asked her breathlessly.

Haley let out a giggle when she felt his fingers gently slip beneath the shirt she was wearing, lightly tickling her skin. "Again?"

"Yes, again. Again, and again, and –" He pressed his lips against hers, nipping at her bottom lip as he did. "-again."

Haley's eyes flitted shut at the amazing sensations coursing through her. "That offer is _so_ tempting."

"So why not give in?" Nathan asked her with a playful smile on his handsome features.

"Because –" She disentangled herself from his grasp, but never letting go of his hands. "I'd like to spend the day with my friends today."

"But I'm your friend," protested Nathan.

She laughed as she led him back indoors. He spun her around, pulling her against his body and wrapping his arms around her waist. She felt the familiar surge of her heart whenever he gazed at her that way so intensely. "You're also the love of my life. Do you know that?" She leaned up on tiptoes and gave him a kiss.

"You're good at distracting me," groaned Nathan as he pulled away. "But not that good."

"Be serious for one moment, Nathan. Your couch would kill me if I distracted you even more. Your game is coming up in a few more days. Aren't you worried about it at all?"

"All the time." He admitted with a rather defeated sigh. He plopped himself onto one of the chairs in front of the kitchen counter. "But it's not something I want to just yell to the world. People think Nathan Scott is so good that he doesn't get worried about games. He just goes out there and plays, then everything will be fine."

"You're only human, Nathan."

He gazed at her from across the kitchen counter, holding her hand to his lips as he kissed it. "You're going to be leaving soon, too."

"Three more days," she confirmed quietly. Her gaze dropped to the floor and she heard him suddenly protest.

"Hey, hey, hey – we already talked about this last night. No more regrets, no more worrying and no more getting all sad about it. This is your dreams we're talking about. Dreams are supposed to be happy." Nathan reminded her sternly.

"I'll miss you. I'll miss this house, the backyard, the pool we hardly use, the bedroom, the kitchen – everything," she sighed, reveling in his touch when he cupped her face. "I'll miss you the most."

"Enough sentimental stuff, okay Hales? We'll miss each other, but we'll still have each other. Always remember that."

"Right."

A rather painful silence hung between them. It was difficult trying to face the truth. It was right there in front of them – the rest of their relationship hanging on the edge. They were taking a huge risk, being apart for that long. It was a lot to sacrifice, and a lot to risk. They didn't even know if it would be worth it.

"I need to go get ready." Haley murmured, tearing her gaze from his. She slipped away from his grasp and abruptly left the table. She walked straight to the bedroom, shut the door behind her and sank onto the floor.

There was so much uncertainty now. Even the assurance from last night didn't seem to be enough.

* * *

"Haley? Hello, Haley? Is everything okay?"

She snapped out of her reverie and found herself standing inside in a huge office and in front of her, was the oak desk of her boss, Mr. Turner, who was looking at her strangely. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Haley, I didn't call you here in the middle of the day so you could stare off into space while I talk to you about your article."

"Oh right, the article. I'm sorry – it's just –"

"Pre-tour jitters?"

The traces of a smile began to make its way on Haley's face but it never got there. "I wish it were a lot easier than that, to be quite honest."

"How is Nathan taking it?"

"He's very good at hiding his emotions." She answered, her voice suddenly flat. This time, a real smile – although very small – appeared on her face, lifting the corners of her lips slightly. Mr. Turner was looking at her worriedly, exactly like how a concerned father would look. She owed him so much, and she appreciated the support he gave her when she told him that she was leaving. There was still that underlying respect for him, but now, Haley saw him as her father.

"He should be. He hasn't been the most open celebrity out there, so we usually just make up stories about him so he actually talks," said Mr. Turner with a small chuckle. "Tell him we're sorry about that."

Haley didn't laugh. She fiddled with a loose thread on the button of her blouse. "He tells me that he'll support me no matter what, and I believe that. But I just – I worry about our relationship. Long-distance relationships don't last, much less ones that last long. And we've just gotten together. I'm not sure we could last that long without each other."

"You're as open as he's closed." Mr. Turner observed, grinning slightly.

"Could we please be a little more serious here?" Haley asked exasperatedly.

"I'm not your shrink, Haley. You can't expect me to be all advice-giving to you." When he saw her face fall, he sighed in defeat and added, "You know, when I was younger, I was in love with this girl who – well, had really big dreams like yours. She was going to be an artist, and she was going to be big. She knew it, I knew it – the critics knew it. But I loved her desperately – so desperately that I couldn't bear to let her go."

"What did you do?"

"I let her go."

"That easily?" Haley asked, her brows shooting up in surprise.

"Hey, I never said it was. It took a lot of pacing the floor, a lot of endless arguments with her, a lot of groveling and a lot of sacrifice. The thing was, I loved her dearly – probably more than I ever thought possible. I didn't want to let her go. I was afraid that if I did, she'd leave forever, and I'd end up regretting that I ever did. But I loved her enough to let her fulfill her dreams. I loved her enough to want to see her happy and fulfilled and successful, even if I wasn't standing by her side when it happened."

Haley nodded, understanding what he was saying. She felt her heart ache even more at the truth of the words. "Where is she now?"

Mr. Turner glanced at his wristwatch, and looked back at her, a wide smile on his face. "At home, probably making dinner now."

This time, Haley laughed – a real, loud laugh and it was such a relief to have it come out of her that she laughed some more. "She came back?"

"Well, it turns out that she loved me enough to come back home."

"What about her dreams?"

"She still got her fame and her art. You _can_ have both, Haley. Don't think that one will stop the either, because if you really want it to work, it will." Mr. Turner told her.

Haley nodded again, feeling much lighter this time – airier. Happier. She looked at the draft of her article wedged beneath her boss' arm. "So, about the article – what do you think?"

"It's good, Haley. It's really good."

She frowned in reply. His answer was very vague. "Good enough to clear his rep?"

"That, and some more."

"What do you mean?" Something in his eyes unnerved her.

"You wrote it like a girl madly in love –" Mr. Turner held his hand up to stop her before she could say anything else in reply. "It's beautiful."

"I'm starting to think I'm your favorite employee now." Haley teased, but she couldn't help but blush deeply at the compliment.

"Somehow, you always were. I saw determination in you, Haley. Most people, if not all, walk into this office looking like they've lost all hope, and that this job is their last option. I know you saw this job the same way, but despite all that, you were passionate about it. You wanted to be better – genuinely. And I appreciate that." Mr. Turner said, sincerity shining through his eyes.

Haley shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Are you going to keep complimenting me all day?"

He laughed his trademark booming laugh. "I guess you have a lot of good-byes to do, huh? Well, don't let me stop you." He motioned his hand to the doorway.

She didn't budge. "Listen, Mr. Turner – I just want to say thanks. For everything. You've given me hope with this job, and without it, I wouldn't be where I am today. I probably wouldn't be with Nathan, and I wouldn't be this close to my dreams. And even with that annoyingly cramped office and all the editing you made me do every night, I really appreciate everything you've done for me. And I'm sorry for leaving."

He smiled understandingly at her. "I'll miss your feistiness, James. This office will feel really empty without it," he cocked his head towards her. "Just promise me one thing, though."

"Anything."

"When you're extremely famous with your dozens of Grammy's and music awards, and you and Nathan have your tenth child or something, will you promise me an exclusive, tell-all interview?"

Haley burst out laughing. "I promise."

* * *

When Haley parked the least modest (but painfully still luxurious) of Nathan's cars into the driveway, she was surprised to see her friends' cars parked alongside hers. No sooner than she had stepped onto the pathway leading to the front door did Nathan come out of the house and envelope her into a tight hug.

"I'm sorry about awhile ago," mumbled Haley into his chest, breathing in his comforting scent. "I've been so worried lately and it's not helping."

"Yeah, it's not."

Haley pulled away, frowning at him. "You're not supposed to agree with me."

He laughed. "Do you want to come inside? I called everyone here so you wouldn't have to go looking for them."

She nodded, interlacing her fingers with his as they began to slowly walk back into the house. "I had a nice talk with my boss today."

"Really? What did he think about the interview?"

"He said that I wrote it like I was madly in love with you."

"Are you?"

They stopped walking, and when Haley looked up at him, Nathan's gaze was suddenly intense. She loved the thrill that raced through her whenever he looked at her that way. She was pretty sure it was always going to be there. "Maddeningly."

He smiled, leaning down for a gentle kiss. Then his brows furrowed slightly. "Is it a good thing, though?"

"Well, according to him, it was. And he's a pretty straightforward guy. He wouldn't publish something that isn't good."

"I still haven't read that article." Nathan reminded her.

"You will in a few days," replied Haley as they walked into the house. "Just like everybody else."

"That's not very fair." Nathan complained.

Haley merely smiled teasingly at him and before he could insist some more, she spotted Brooke's constantly-cheerful dimpled smile and Peyton's laughing green eyes from across the room. She gave him one last kiss before she drifted off to her two best friends in the world.

Nathan watched her go away, feeling his heart soar with love for her. He hadn't felt this happy – or this in love in ages, if not ever. He really had faith in them – faith in what they had. They were going to make it. He was pretty sure they would.


	45. End and Beginning

**WHOA. I was completely blown away by your reviews. I never expected my story to reach the 1000****th**** mark, and I want to thank you all for your support. You people are amazing. I'll be honest with you guys. For some reason, I had a lot of trouble getting this chapter done. I wrote it over and over with at least a dozen versions and I wasn't happy with it at all. That's the main reason for the really long hiatus, coupled with a lot - and I really mean a _lot_ - of technological problems. I really need to get a new computer. Anyway, I came up with this and I hope you like it.**

**Oh, and a special shout-out to ****B.Freeman****, for all the sweet reviews that made my e-mail inbox explode. Lol. Thank you so much, hon! Also, this chapter is dedicated to the awesome GGS over at FF. I miss you girls! I'll be back as soon as my wretched computer lets me. Hugs!**

**Enough of my stupid ramble. On with the story!**

**--Sera**

* * *

"_We're here," Lucas' voice quietly said, interrupting the silence of the car. Haley was so deep in thought that she barely heard him until she felt Nathan's hand squeeze hers. She looked up and saw her two best friends, Peyton and Brooke seated next to her._

_They stepped out and with another reassuring squeeze of her hand, Nathan left her side for a moment to help Lucas and Jake take the bags out of the back of the car. The three best friends stood on the sidewalk, and without another word, enveloped each other in a hug._

_Haley closed her eyes and willed herself not to cry. She never realized just how much she would miss them. All of her life, she had the comfort of knowing that her friends were always by her side, and now – for seven months – they weren't. She never knew what it felt to be apart from them. They had always gone to the same schools, hung out even when their personalities differed – it was something that Haley had gotten used to completely and she wasn't entirely sure how it would be when things were different._

_Then, as if reading Haley's mind, she heard Peyton whisper into her ear, "We're only going to be one phone call away, Hales. We won't be that far apart."_

"_We'll miss you so much, Tutor Girl." Brooke whispered into the other ear._

"_I don't want to leave you guys," she finally admitted as she pulled away. "We've fulfilled our dreams standing next to each other and now –"_

"_No, Haley. Peyton and I fulfilled our dreams. You haven't yet. It's about time you do." Brooke told her firmly._

"_Without you guys?" Haley asked, her voice trembling slightly as she did._

"_We'll call every day if we have to. And as soon as the doctor gives me the go signal after the baby is born, Brooke and I will follow you to the ends of the earth." Peyton promised, a small smile on her face._

"_I love you girls. More than you ever know." Haley whispered, throwing herself at them again and hugging them as tightly as she could._

_Nathan, Lucas and Jake joined them with Haley's bags in tow. Nathan mumbled something about getting a baggage cart before Haley was thrown in a tight hug between Jake and Lucas._

"_You take care, Haley." Jake told her fervently, his brown eyes warmly smiling at her even if he wasn't._

"_You're going to be great, Haley James." Lucas said, sincerity and pride evident in his voice._

"_Thanks, you guys."_

"_You've always been a little sister to me, Hales. Don't go doing something stupid." Jake warned her._

_Haley couldn't help but blush slightly. "Aw, Jagielski. I'm not going to go away forever, you know."_

"_Yeah, but I've never told you that," said Jake, shrugging. He repeated his words, his voice firmer this time. "You take care."_

"_I will Jake. Thanks for the concern, and the record deal. This wouldn't have been anything without you and Peyton."_

"_It was your voice, Hales." He said, grinning at her._

"_Hales –" Lucas began. He cast a glance at Nathan's figure that was slowly approaching them. "I never told you that I appreciate what you did for Nathan. You only signed up to write something that will change how people see him, but you did something so much more. He's a changed man because of you, and I've never seen him happier. Thank you."_

"_It's always going to be about him, isn't it, Luke?" Haley asked teasingly._

"_Okay, okay. You're a good friend to me, Haley James." Lucas admitted with a sheepish smile. "Don't ever forget it."_

"_Take care of Brooke, okay? She really likes you." Haley said with a wink. She felt Nathan brush against her side, his arm wrapping around her waist._

"_I love you guys. Thanks for everything." She told them. This time, she couldn't hide a grateful smile as she hugged each one again before stepping back. "'Bye,"_

_As she and Nathan walked into the airport, she felt the familiar prickle on the back of her nape and she immediately knew that dozens of pairs of eyes were focused on them. However, she didn't feel as nervous or as shy as before and she simply walked on. A small smile crept on her face when she felt Nathan protectively pull her closer against his side as they walked._

_They finally reached the baggage area and stopped walking. It was as if a completely deserted spot was intentionally empty for them as they stood there, facing each other and looking into each other's eyes for a long time. Haley didn't want to look away. She wanted to memorize every inch of him – including the crinkle on the corner of his left eye when he smiled, the strands of hair that usually went out of place and the small furrow between his brows as he gazed down at her._

_Haley reached out and smoothed the furrow with the tip of her finger. "Please don't be worried about me."_

"_I can't help it. I worry about you every time we're not together."_

"_Nathan, that's very sweet and all but I'm not a five-year-old, okay? I'll be fine." Haley assured him. He still didn't look very convinced and she stood up on tiptoe to gently kiss him. She had the satisfaction of seeing the frown disappear and instead, lust cloud his dark blue eyes. God, she would miss seeing that look in those amazing blue eyes._

"_You promised," she warned him with a small pout._

"_I know, I know. It's just – hard, you know?"_

"_I know," she replied with a small voice as he reached out to her and pulled her into his arms. Haley buried her face into his chest, inhaling his scent and tried to remember it – hoping it would stay. She heard the distant voice of a woman announcing that her flight would be boarding in twenty minutes and quietly admitted, "I don't want to pull away."_

"_This is your dream Haley, remember? You're so close and everyone who loves and cares about you is behind you, supporting you, wanting you to succeed. I don't want to be the guy who stops that."_

"_You're not, Nathan. Really. I'm just going to miss you so much."_

"_I'll miss you, too. I'll call every hour if I have to."_

_Haley giggled. "You don't have to do that. Every night will do."_

"_Every night it is, then." Nathan promised with a charming smile. He leaned down, pulled her against him and kissed her again, hungrily this time. When he pulled away, he heard the familiar, guttural moan from her throat and he groaned. "God, I'm going to miss that sound."_

"_I'm going to miss making it." She teased as he laughed loudly in reply. Haley heard the woman announce that boarding was in fifteen minutes, and sighed. "I have to go…"_

"_You are amazing, Haley and everyone who'll watch you will know it. You're going to be beyond great, I can promise you that." Nathan told her firmly, his eyes set on hers._

"_I love you so much, Nathan."_

_He kissed her again, more fervently this time – showing her how much he loved her. "I love you. I'll call you every day."_

"_Every day?"_

"_Every day until that tour ends."_

"Miss James? They're ready for you." A woman's voice rang through the silence, interrupting Haley's thoughts.

She looked up from her the cell phone in her hand that she had been staring at for the past few minutes. "I'm sorry, what was that?"

"They're ready for you." The woman repeated, pressing two fingers to the microphone tucked inside her ear.

"Okay. Can I just have a moment?"

"Of course. Don't take too long, though."

"I won't."

As soon as the woman left the dressing room and Haley was once again alone, her gaze fell on the cell phone on the table. She didn't know how long she had been staring at it, but she couldn't help herself. Her heart ached as she imagined Nathan's name flashing repeatedly on the screen. It had been so long since he called. Since she called.

She tried to reason with herself, tried to find some sort of grace in it. Maybe he was too busy with something. She knew she herself was too busy to call.

Right.

Who was too busy to not call even once in one month?

Haley sighed. It was bound to happen. For the first two to three weeks, they were good. He called every day, and she never failed to call him, either. Then things got busier for either of them, fewer words were exchanged until time and distance completely took over. They lost touch.

"_I'm sorry Hales, I have to go. There's something I have to do. I'll call you later."_

"_I have to get going, Nathan. I'll call you, okay?"_

And for some reason, neither of them ever did call.

She didn't understand why they were even kidding themselves before. No relationship could survive that distance, especially something like theirs when they actually had a reason to be apart. And – just like every night she thought about him – she picked up her phone and dialed his number. All she wanted was to hear his voice, and it would be good enough. Just a sign to see if he was standing by his phone as much as she did – just one sign that will show her that things were going to work out.

At once, she heard the familiar warmth of his voice and felt the almost immediate disappointment when it was only his voice mail speaking to her.

"Hey, Nathan. It's Haley. How are you? Things have been going great here. A month-and-a-half of touring, and already, I have a lot of fans. It's amazing," she hesitated, immediately starting to feel the tears fill her eyes. When she spoke, her voice trembled. "Nathan … what happened to us? I miss hearing your voice, and your laugh. I miss _you_ –"

"Miss James? They can't wait anymore. You have to get to get onstage." It was the woman awhile ago. Her pretty face was anxious as she held her clipboard to her chest.

"A few more –"

"I'm sorry, Miss James. It has to be now."

Haley swore under her breath and ended the call. She angrily threw the phone on the nearest couch and picked up the guitar.

Even with Haley's limited knowledge in relationships, she knew a sign when she saw one. It was over.

* * *

The cameras flashed endlessly in front of her, momentarily blinding her as each one did. She shut her eyes for a moment, trying to make them get used to it but when she opened her eyes again, the flashes were overwhelming. Haley leaned her face into her hand as she leaned on the long table that stood before her seat. In front of her were crowds of people, many of them holding cameras and microphones.

"That was an amazing performance last night, Miss James." A reporter commented admiringly.

"Thank you very much. I think last night was incredible for all of us." Haley responded, smiling at him as soon as she lifted her head from her hand.

"Miss James?" A woman who stood directly in front of Haley began. When Haley looked her way, she continued, "A lot of people say that many of your performances, if not all, are inspired. Would you say that is true?"

"Oh yes, definitely. I sing songs that remind me of my family and my friends back home. Every song is inspired by someone close to my heart."

"Your performance last night was beyond inspired. Would you say that was inspired by Nathan Scott?"

Haley felt her heart wrench painfully in her chest at the mention of his name. She tried to keep her face smooth by channeling all her emotions into clenching her fist beneath the table. What was she going to say? The truth? That she thought about him every waking moment and it was officially two months since they last spoke? That that song she sung last night was every bit meant for him, and she wanted nothing but to go home?

Go home where, exactly? As far as Haley was concerned, there wasn't anything to go home to, not anymore. Not that he had the nerve to even tell her it was over. He was just going to stop calling her.

Haley was brought back to earth by another flash of a camera. "Y-Yes, it was."

"Nathan is currently touring around the States, promoting their recent basketball championship win…" _Oh, is he? See, I didn't even know_, Haley thought bitterly. "...How do you two find the time to have a relationship with so much going on in your careers?"

Great. So she had to lie between her teeth twice today. Haley took a deep breath and smiled widely, hoping it would match the tone of her voice when she answered, "You won't always have time for everything, so you have to make time for it. Somehow, it just happens to the both of us without much effort."

When the questions were directed to the performer seated next to Haley, she quickly excused herself, got out of her chair and went backstage. She turned to the person seated in the plush leather couch in front of her. "I'm sorry about that."

"Shouldn't you have to go back later?"

"They'll call for me," answered Haley rather hurriedly. "Thanks for coming, Brooke."

Brooke stood up and gave Haley a hug. "It's not a problem, Hales. Peyton says sorry, though. You're stirring so much music headlines that her recording company has been busier than ever. Throw in a newborn baby in the mix and –"

Haley raised a hand to stop Brooke. "I get it. Still – thanks a lot for coming."

Brooke hooked her arm around Haley's as the pair of them sat on the couch. "So … according to your answer to that reporter awhile ago, you and Nathan are still very much an item," When Haley didn't say anything, Brooke continued, "Are you?"

After a few moments, Haley answered, "I – don't know. I was hoping you could tell me."

"All Lucas ever tells me is that Nathan has been really busy."

"Yeah, I pretty much had that figured out when he hasn't been calling."

Brooke gazed at her best friend intently. "And why haven't you?"

Haley bit her lower lip nervously. "Oh my God, Brooke. I think it's my fault. I should've called him when I had the time but I always figured there would be time to call later on. He never did and I never bothered to."

Brooke smiled patiently but didn't say anything else. Haley knew that look. It basically told her that things weren't okay, but she simply didn't have the heart to tell her. Haley pretty much surmised that from the beginning but to see the truth etched on her best friend's face was a crushing blow. Haley instantly felt tears well in her eyes. Immediately, Brooke wrapped her friend in a comforting hug. For a few seconds, they sat that way.

"Do you … know how he's doing?" Haley asked in a small voice.

"He's on the news every day, just like you are. But things have been so busy for him, he probably doesn't watch," she hesitated for a moment and continued, "He looks to be okay, Hales. I mean, there are times that he looks like he's had a rough night, but usually, he looks fine."

Haley felt her heart ache even more. "Has he been going out again?"

"Well, I don't know. But there haven't been any pictures of him."

At least there was that. At least he was happy, even if she wasn't. The thought made Haley's stomach twist painfully, but somehow, it comforted her. At least he was handling their break-up better. He had more experience with it, she supposed. But she really thought they had something different, but like every other girl with Nathan, it wasn't something that would last. He only made it seem so. She realized what a lie her article had been.

Haley looked up. "What do people think of the article?"

"Pretty much the same as we thought of it – amazing. People really think that you just might be the last girl Nathan Scott would ever be with."

"Yeah, well … I thought so, too." Haley said rather bitterly.

"He asks Peyton and Jake about you every day." Brooke said softly.

"And yet he fails to call."

"Why don't you?"

"I did – a couple of times. But I think it was too late."

"It's never too late, Haley."

Brooke had never been more right than she was now.

* * *

"I'm leaving," declared Haley. She was standing before the manager of the entire tour, her face adamant and determined. "I'm leaving today."

"What? You can't just leave like this. You have a contract." The manager argued.

"So tear up the contract. I don't care. I just can't be here anymore." Haley said. Her tone was more adamant than her face and it startled the manager.

"Can I ask why?"

Haley hesitated for a moment. "This tour has been amazing. I won't lie to you – it's the most amazing thing I've ever done, and it has opened up so many opportunities for me. It's just – it has a lot of baggage. I didn't realize that by gaining so much, I'd lose so much, too."

"That's the music business, Haley. You can't expect to get everything you want, and then some more. It just doesn't work that way."

"Yeah, I've seen that."

He surveyed her for a moment. He would miss this girl. Not only was she drop-dead gorgeous, but she was incredibly talented. He never told anyone, but she was the one who carried this tour, and thousands of people flocked to their concerts because of her. It was going to be difficult without her but he saw how unwavering she was. There were rumors that her relationship with that basketball player was on the rocks. Some even said it was over, but she never said anything. He internally sighed. She must really love him to give it all up.

"What are you going to do now?" He asked her.

"Go home."

"And?"

"I don't know." Haley admitted quietly.

"Is there anything I can say to make you change your mind?"

"No. I'm sorry," apologized Haley. Her brown eyes were full of sincerity, but there was no sign of regret. There was no swaying her. "Thank you for everything."

Just as Haley was about to walk out the door, he called out, "You're going to be missed, Haley James."

She stopped in her tracks to look over her shoulder at him and softly replied, "I'm going to miss it, too."

And with that, she left the office. Her mind was reeling. A part of her ached that she was leaving. She would miss the feeling of singing in front of a crowd that big, the feeling of exhilaration when they would cheer and call for her. It would be a long time before she would have another concert again, she decided. Right now, it was Nathan she wanted. He was all that mattered.

Haley found herself back in her room and immediately, she set out her bags and started taking clothes out of drawers. She didn't even bother to look around the hotel room she wouldn't miss, or ask herself where in the world she was. She was about halfway through packing when there was a knock on the door.

The door opened slightly. A woman was smiling strangely at Haley as she poked her head through the door. "Miss James? You have a visitor."

Haley looked at her bags anxiously. "Right now?"

"He says it can't wait."

Haley sighed. It was probably the manager, going to convince her to stay. She glanced at her wristwatch and nodded. She would give him five minutes and that was it. "Let him in then."

She returned to hurriedly packing. She heard the door close and footsteps that grew louder as the person moved closer to her. "I'm still leaving." She announced without looking up.

"Going to see me, I hope," a familiar voice drawled.

Haley's back was turned and her eyes widened with surprise. She hadn't heard that voice in ages and it brought a familiar shiver down her spine. She could practically hear the smirk in his voice.

_Please don't be a daydream._ She turned around and her jaw dropped. It was Nathan, all right. His hair was slightly longer than the buzz cut he used to have, and he looked incredibly good-looking. What stood out most were his stunning blue eyes. She thought she would never look into them again. Just the thought brought tears to her eyes as Haley sank on the bed, and much to both their bewildered surprise, she began to cry uncontrollably.

Instantly, she felt his arms wrap around her tiny body and her heart gave a sudden leap, as if it had suddenly come alive after so many years. He was real and he was here, with her … holding her to him. She let his scent fill her from the inside and she began to cry some more as he shakily whispered he was sorry in her ear. He was sorry that they fell apart. He was sorry he hadn't called and that he was too busy for her. He was sorry he let the distance get between them. He was sorry he never called back. And he was sorry he let her think they would be over – that he even let the thought cross her mind.

She looked up at him, his face blurring at the edges because of her tears. She didn't even want to hear his explanation anymore. "I love you."

His eyes lit up brightly, as if they had never lit up that way before. "I love you so much, Haley James. I don't want to lose you again."

"You never did," she whispered as she pushed herself up to kiss him. The soaring feeling surged between both of them, so earth-shattering that they lost themselves in the frenzied kiss, neither of them wanting it to end. They kissed passionately, letting the familiar taste of the other fill them.

For a split-second, Haley thought of wanting to talk with him and explain but then she felt his lips hungrily ravishing her neck and his hand slip up her blouse and the thought instantly slipped from her mind. She brought her lips against his for another searing kiss as they both fell back on the bed.

There would be time for explanations. They had forever.

**I'm pretty sure that's the longest chapter I've ever written. Have I mentioned this is the last chapter? Well, it is. The epilogue will be posted very soon. Please review! :)  
**


	46. Epilogue

**First off, I want to thank everyone who supported me and my story. Let me tell you, this was one heck of a journey. I think I probably went through a dozen, if not more really long hiatuses in this story and the only reason I came back was for you guys. You people never cease to amaze me. I'm so thankful you guys never gave up on my story, even if there were times I was on the brink of giving up.**

**A big thank you to everyone who put this story on Story Alert, made it their favorite, made me their favorite author, put me on Alert and did whatever was possible to show me their support. Personally, I never expected this story to be so huge. It was just something I randomly came up with and I was just glad to have people reading it. Thank you for all the wonderful reviews. It's just amazing to open my e-mail and see everyone's reviews and the praise and constructive criticism I'm getting. It really, truly does mean the world to me.**

**Also, another huge thanks to all the other authors here on this site and elsewhere. I cannot tell you guys how much your stories have inspired mine, and you honestly have brought me out of a lot of writer's blocks. You cannot imagine how much I am inspired by your works.**

**Lastly, thank you to **_**you**_**, whoever you are, if you are still reading up to this point. I'm thanking you just because it's either you have the surprising patience to put up with my ramble or, it's just because you've stuck with me until the end of this story. Thank you for staying with me in this crazy, awesome, beautiful ride that is writing this story. Look forward to my new stories, and enjoy this last chapter of ****Collide****.**

**--Sera**

* * *

_Five years ago, I was asked to write an article about Nathan Scott, but it was anything but a normal article. I was asked – okay, more like ordered to live under the same roof with him for two months to get to know him. It started out easy enough, but then the public scrutiny got to us. Things shifted from professional to something entirely different, our new relationship was discovered, stories were made up to cover for the real purpose of me being with him and we almost broke up a few times, but hey, what is a relationship without the drama?_

_I recall meeting Nathan in a bar for the first time. It's been a long time ago and I would never forget the hellacious hangover I got the next morning, but those never stopped me from remembering the look in his eyes. Nathan has a look in his eyes for everything. He has one when he doesn't want to get up so early in the morning, one when he sees a basketball that he just threw to shoot through the hoop, one when he is having a petty but affectionate argument with his brother, the list goes on. What I'm trying to point out is that I could name any look in his eyes, but I still didn't know how to identify the one he had that night. It was something different – something I never saw in anyone else, unsettling and confusing. To tell you the truth, it was that look in those blue eyes that made me want to talk to him. You'd think that by now, I would know what that look meant, but I honestly don't. I still think about it sometimes, and see it for a few brief moments, and it just brings me back to where it all began._

_I guess this is the part where I'm cued to say that the rest is history. I guess I could say that. A lot has happened in the past five years and a lot of things have changed. A whirlwind marriage in between a seven-month world tour, two pregnancies, a beautiful baby, a new house, and a few awards thrown in the mix, I guess you can say my life is officially perfect. Sure, our new family had our fights in between, like arguing on who was supposed to do the grocery shopping, or who left the skateboard at the foot of the stairs, or whose turn it was to pick a movie to watch. We had our arguments about important things too, like where should we raise our kids, what school were they going to attend and why we didn't need that fourth car. People thought our marriage wasn't going to last, but Nathan and I have proven a lot of people wrong in our lives. We intend to prove them wrong again now._

_Still, there are some things that haven't changed. Five years ago, I wrote about how Nathan was a caring, thoughtful person who only needed a push in the right direction once in a while. I wrote that like many people, Nathan was only human and made mistakes like the rest of us, and said that all my first impressions of him were very wrong. In the short time I got to know him, perhaps I already know more about him than many other people in his life think they do. I saw the relentless passion and drive he had about his sport, and his determination to not let anyone down. I saw the stress that took its toll on him, and how much in his life he had lost to have what he had now. And yet, I saw the person who was only striving to make some sort of difference in this world._

_I could say that somehow, Nathan has made a difference in my world – a rather big difference, when I think about it. I couldn't imagine a time in my life that I wasn't this happy or content. I was always striving for some sort of inner peace and calm I couldn't find, no matter how much I tried. Nathan taught me to be strong in all situations, to never back down, to be true to myself, and to shoot a basketball – but the last one, I still can't do, no matter how hard I try. He always gives me this sense of comfort and protection whenever he's around me, and he makes me feel like I could do anything. I suppose I can, because he never fails to let me know that he supports me in whatever I want to._

_Nathan is many things; A-list celebrity, talented basketball player, the constant headline in a magazine, the regular topic in gossip shows … I could go on and on about what he is to many people but for a few lucky people, he is a good friend, a supportive brother, a loving husband and father. I sometimes look back at my life and try to envision one without him and all those things that he is, and I couldn't see it. Maybe it was fate that brought us together, faith in our relationship that gave us hope time and time again, intuition that made us realize what we could be … all I know is, I could never see a future without him by my side._

_There is something beautiful in writing about the one you love because when you do, you somehow find yourself writing about all the wonderful and amazing things about that person, instead of the things that annoy you, and I suppose that is the whole point of writing that article in the first place. Well, Nathan is still as stubborn as ever and there are times I wish he was easier to wake up in the morning, but writing something like this two times, it really makes me see why I love and always will love this man._

As Nathan gently folded the manuscript in his hands, he couldn't help but feel his heart surge with pride and love as his mind ran through the words Haley wrote about him. His gaze fell on the pages, her neat handwriting coupled with several erasures and annotations here and there. It was clearly far from completed, but her words filled him up completely, causing a smile to form on his handsome face.

The smile quickly turned to a grin as he recalled how far they had gone. He had persuaded Haley to not leave the tour and accompanied her the whole time. During those seven months, he gathered up the courage to finally ask her to marry him, and as soon as she said yes, he drove her to the seashore of one of the beautiful, pristine beaches in the city where a small ceremony was already being set up.

He remembered the radiant smile on her face and the sparkle in her eyes when she teasingly asked him, "So sure I'd say yes?"

"I knew you couldn't resist me." He had teased back with a smile that matched hers.

Nathan let her complete the world tour before they went off on a honeymoon and not long after they had gotten back, Haley was already pregnant. After nine months of raging hormones (that Nathan personally loved), endless mood swings and strange food cravings, James Lucas Scott was born into the world. It had shocked Nathan to see how much he looked like his son, and he actually cried the first time he held his little boy.

He remembered that moment – how tiny and fragile his baby was in his arms as he cooed at him, how Haley was resting against the pillow, smiling tiredly at them. He remembered how he had reached out and kissed Haley's sweat-soaked temple, whispering how proud he was of her, how much he loved her, and how much he loved their baby boy. And even if Haley was too exhausted to even smile back, he saw the happiness shimmering in her big, brown eyes. Nathan would always remember that moment.

It was amazing to be a father. He watched his little boy grow up before his eyes, astonished at how much he looked like his dad every single day. He had inherited his mother's blond hair, but everything else was all Nathan; the startlingly beautiful blue eyes, the mesmerizing smile, the cute little frown and Haley even proclaimed that Jamie had his father's famous smirk. His son's personality however, was a wonderful mix of both of them. He had his father's amazing talent in basketball and his mother's brains. Best of all, Jamie inherited Haley's immense kindness and Nathan never failed to see it every single day – whether it be bringing home a wounded bird he found or simply cheering his dad on whenever Nathan had games. It was mind-numbing, this feeling. It brought about a certain rush in Nathan that he couldn't explain, something that had finally filled the void his younger life so lacked and wanted.

Jamie was four years old when Haley told Nathan that she was pregnant once again. Nathan fondly recalled lifting her high up in the air and kissing her passionately, and with a wry smile, especially what happened after. She was two months pregnant now, and a tiny baby bump could already be seen. There were nights she would fall asleep ahead of him, and his hand would constantly be on her stomach as he silently whispered how much he loved this new baby, promising her the world once she was born.

Nathan was absolutely certain that Haley was pregnant with a girl, and even when she laughed it off and told him that Scott genes never produced a girl, he was adamant. He could see his baby girl now with her blond hair and big, mesmerizing brown eyes just like Haley's. His heart swelled with joy even more. He was pretty sure that he had never been this happy his entire life. Everything changed when Haley came into the picture, and he had been such a blind fool to almost let her go. He couldn't imagine life without her or his children.

He slipped the manuscript back into the drawer where he found them and went back out to the living room. He leaned against the doorframe and watched his family – Haley humming while she strummed on the guitar and Jamie on the floor with crayons and pieces of paper strewn around him. Occasionally, Haley would glance down at her son and with an affectionate smile, ruffle his hair and praise his drawings.

Nathan couldn't help but stare at his wife in wonder. It was amazing how she seemed to grow even more beautiful every day. She had cut her hair short and colored it a rich, dark brown which set off her mesmerizing eyes. They had been together for five years but every time he set his eyes on her, it was like he was only seeing her for the first time, and he couldn't believe his luck that this woman was all his.

_All mine_, he repeated in his head and almost instinctively, a smirk appeared on his face.

"What are you smirking at, Mr. Scott?" Haley asked him. She had stood up from the couch and was already absentmindedly playing with the collar of his shirt.

"Just thinking about you, _Mrs. Scott_," he answered, his smirk widening as he emphasized the last two words.

"Oh? And what is it about me that made that infamous smirk appear?" She asked interestedly, playing along. She ran her fingers through his dark hair, softly brushing the strands away from his face.

"Oh, just about everything," he replied and leaned down so he could whisper into her ear, "Especially last night – as I distinctly recall."

"Don't forget this morning," she reminded him with a seductive smile.

Nathan growled into her ear and nuzzled her neck. "_Especially_ this morning," he corrected himself. "God, I am a lucky man."

Haley laughed, blushing deeply as she led him to the couch. She let him take a seat first before she sat down next to him. She tucked her legs beneath her and buried herself against his side. Nathan leaned down to give her an affectionate kiss on the top of her head and turned to his son. "Hey buddy, aren't you going to give your daddy a hug?"

"Well you two were so busy awhile ago." Jamie said, rolling his eyes as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Haley giggled and reached out to Jamie as he sat on her lap. "Aren't you going to show your daddy something?"

Jamie's big blue eyes immediately brightened as he dug into his jeans pocket and brought out a folded piece of paper. "Look at this, daddy!"

Nathan exchanged a smile with Haley. His eyes widened as he exclaimed, "Well, will you look at that, Hales? A gold star!"

"Not just two gold stars, daddy – two of them! I was the only one who got two stars in the _whole_ class." Jamie said proudly as he pointed at the star stickers on the paper.

Nathan's eyes widened even more. "_Two_ stars?! Wow! Back when I was a kid, I was lucky enough to just get a smiley face."

"I get smiley faces all the time," said Jamie, his face scrunching up.

"Yeah well, daddy isn't a good, brilliant boy like you, Jimmy-Jam." Haley said as she pressed a kiss on his chubby cheek.

"Yeah …" He paused. "_Hey_!" Nathan said indignantly.

"But daddy was really good in sports. Didn't you see all his neat medals and trophies in our room?" Haley said, pride evident in her voice. She gave Nathan a small smile, which he returned.

"Uh-huh, there were thousands of them!" Jamie said as he spread his arms wide to prove his point.

"Thousands? You really think it's that much?"

"Yeah, momma. I counted it all." Jamie answered, nodding.

"Wow, I must be really good then to earn a thousand awards." Nathan joked.

"Tommy watched your game live, daddy. He says that you were awesome." Jamie said, his blue eyes brimming with pride. He always loved it when his friends would say that his dad was the best basketball player ever, but he loved it even more when he watched his dad actually play. There was one time that he and his mom were sitting on the couch watching one of his dad's games live, and Jamie ended up explaining a lot of things to her. When Jamie had told his dad about it, he had roared with laughter and claimed that he wasn't at all surprised.

"Well tell Tommy I said thanks," said Nathan, giving his son a kiss. "It's getting late though. Say good night to your mom and little sister then go upstairs to brush your teeth, okay?"

"Okay, daddy," Jamie turned to Haley and gave her a sloppy, wet kiss on her cheek. "Good night, momma!"

"Good night, Jamie. We'll be upstairs to tuck you in as soon as you're done brushing your teeth, alright?"

Haley heaved slightly as Jamie crawled off her lap. He gave Haley's tummy a kiss and whispered, "Good night, baby. I'll see you soon, okay? I'm going to teach you a lot of stuff as soon as you come out."

After she watched him go up the stairs, Haley began to gather all the pieces of paper Jamie left on the floor. "Thank God Jamie isn't like other kids."

"What do you mean?" Nathan asked as he helped her clean up the living room.

"I mean, other kids would already be so jealous or insecure that another baby is going to take up all the attention. Jamie is just so excited to see the baby."

"Well, Jamie's a pretty amazing kid."

"That's because he's _our_ kid," said Haley as she wrapped her arms around him. "Don't forget, he has a basketball game this weekend."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world, Hales." Nathan promised.

Haley simply nodded, believing him. Nathan's career took him all over the world and there were times that he missed milestones in his son's life, and she knew that it greatly pained him to be gone but it was his career. He was simply grateful that Jamie understood and that he was probably the proudest person of him, aside from Haley. She was that way, too but she was lucky that Peyton and Jake understood why she couldn't be as active as other artists. She was still a singer and her past two albums had been so successful. For now, she just wanted to take her time and be with her family.

"Did you finish that song you were writing a couple of nights ago?" Nathan asked her.

"Well, not really," she sheepishly admitted. "You were always distracting me."

Nathan laughed at her blush. Five years later, and she still blushed deeply like they were still dating. "Oh, so I'm in big trouble with Peyton and Jake now?"

"You're lucky they like you," teased Haley, giggling when he pretended to be offended. "Not that I minded the distractions, though."

Nathan laughed just as Jamie called that he was ready for bed. He looked around with dismay when he saw that the living room was still messy. "Distracted again," he chuckled. "Why don't you go ahead upstairs and I'll clean up?"

"Are you sure?"

"It's the least I could do, Hales. I've been away all day."

"Okay, I'll see you upstairs," she said brightly. Before she could turn to leave, he spun her around and pulled her against him. He gently brushed his lips against hers and said, "Thank you, Hales – for everything. You and Jamie are my life and I couldn't imagine it without you in the picture. I just – I can't believe you're with me."

"Well believe it. I love you so much, Nathan." Haley whispered, gently stroking the side of his face.

"I love you too, Hales." He swept down to capture her lips with a searing kiss that made her weak in the knees. When they pulled away, they were both panting.

"Keep that up and we'll never leave this place," she kidded and with a playful wink, she skipped outside and went up the stairs to Jamie's room.

Nathan watched her walk away, the smile on his face slowly growing with every step she took. With a rather satisfied sigh, he bent down to pick up the rest of the papers Jamie had drawn on. One drawing caught his eye and when he picked it up to take a better look, Nathan breathed out a quiet "Wow."

It was a drawing of their family – Nathan, Haley and Jamie in front of a big white house with a sprawling garden. He noted the doghouse Jamie purposely drew in the corner and smiled, taking a mental note to have a talk with Haley about getting their son a dog. Beneath the whole thing was the words scrawled "My Family – Forever."

Nathan chuckled at the correct spelling, wondering if Jamie had asked Haley how it was spelled to make sure it was right. He was just like his mom - always making sure everything was perfect. As he walked into the kitchen to tape the drawing on the refrigerator, he couldn't help but slip into a memory …

"_Tell me a secret," she told him._

_They were walking hand in hand down the sands of the seashore barefoot, the wind making their damp clothes stick against their bodies. Haley's hand was gripping Nathan's as her thumb played with the wedding ring on her other hand, spinning it over and over. They had just gotten from the small wedding that Nathan set up for them and Haley's heart was still beating madly with everything that happened that night._

"_What kind of secret?" Nathan asked her._

"_Anything,"_

"_You look really sexy in that white dress." He teased her._

"_Well, that's not really a secret anymore, is it?" Haley teased back._

"_Oh, so who's being cocky now?"_

"_Shut up," laughed Haley, elbowing him. "I learned from the best, anyway."_

"_Well, it _is_ true," grinned Nathan at her, giving her a kiss that made them stop in their tracks. When he slowly pulled away, he whispered, "You really want to know a secret?"_

"_Tell me."_

_Nathan fixated his gaze on hers, the dark blue orbs more intense than she had ever seen them. "I have _never_ been as happy as I am right now."_

"_Really?"_

"_Never. Tonight is the happiest night of my life. Maybe a few months ago, if someone asked me when I was happiest, I would say that it was when I won my first championship."_

"_So it's not anymore?"_

"_It's a really close second," laughed Nathan. "Are you happy, Haley?"_

"_I'm very happy, Nathan. And that's Haley _Scott_ to you." She corrected him with a cute scrunched-up face._

"_Haley Scott," repeated Nathan quietly as he gazed at her. "I love you, Haley James Scott. Always."_

"_Forever." She whispered back._

Nathan's gaze fell on a small, framed photograph that hung on the wall. It was one of many shots that night in the beach. Her arms were wrapped his waist as she laughed at the camera. He stared at the picture for a few moments before looking back at the drawing he just taped on the refrigerator door.

"My family … always and forever."

**Well, there you go. The story is over. So for the last time in this story, I ask you to please tell me what you think. Thank you again for the amazing support for all my stories. I'm posting a new story soon and continuing ****Sway****, so watch out for those. Love you guys!**


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